Kingdom Hearts 05: The Three Missing Heroes
by Zeki-Kiryuu-kun628
Summary: Set out on the adventures with three new heroes as they embark on a quest to find their keyblade master.
1. Chapter 1

**Kingdom Hearts 0.5: The Three Missing Heroes**

Prologue

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" Sven, a blonde-haired teenage boy screamed as he kept banging his head back and forth on a brick wall. The rain came falling down and mixed with his tears of anguish. He wished he was dead after what a certain bald-headed demon put him through. Sven summoned his keyblade, which felt really heavy in his hands now. MASTER, I'LL SURPASS YOU!" Sven said as his silver-blue eyes glowered hungrily at the skull-inspired weapon of the heart.

"SOMEDAY….MASTER...I'LL...SURPASS...YOU!" Sven yelled as he used his keyblade to hoist himself up. He couldn't care less that his whole demeanor was appalling. He couldn't care less that his clothes had been reduced to mere rags. He couldn't care less that his body was battered and bruised. All that was on his mind was 'SOMEDAY, I'LL GET YOU, MASTER! "His battered face formed into a devilish smile. His jaw widened and a menacing, demented laugh roared out. It echoed through the dank alleyway that the youth had been abandoned at. The youth would get his teacher back for his experiments and nearly killing him

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The echoes of agonizing screams echoed throughout the hallway. A blonde-haired man paced back and forth in the waiting room, occasionally stopping to look at the clock. "What's taking her so long?" the man asked himself. "Daddy? Is mommy okay?" a certain silver-haired girl asked. The man stopped pacing for just a brief moment to comfort his four-year-old daughter, Xia. "Yes darling, mommy is just doing fine…." the man said as he patted the little girl's silver pigtailed head.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The little girl, Xia cowered and held her ears closed. "If mommy is okay then why is she screaming?" the little girl demanded as tears threatened to drop from her eyes.

The man was at a loss for words. He didn't want to scare his daughter by telling her that mommy was going through the deadly labor of delivering her brother. She was too young and too innocent to know about the cruelties of this life. The father hugged his daughter and a voice came from the intercom along with a sad nurse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man went over to his wife. Her dark skin and her long, white hair were drenched in sweat. The man saw the look of death on his wife's face and solemnly walked out of the room, even though his little daughter's cries pleaded to come back. Sven, the father of two children had lost something very important to him...his friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several years had passed, Sven, although never a master had taught his two children; Xia and Xen the basics of the Keyblade. They were thrilled when they first summoned their own weapons. So excited that Sven remembered his late wife's face. She was the one that had taught the master-wannabe how to use the keyblade. She was the one that never gave up on him while their fellow apprentice and master did. She was the reason for his very existence. The happiness of seeing their two children clash and play made him chuckle. He knew he could never teach them. He knew he wasn't fit to be their teacher. Only one man was capable of training them. Sven looked at his two children.

A knot got caught in his throat as he looked at the two. The two beauties that had been given to him...one of them would be taken from him. Sven would protect one of them, Sven would protect Xia. After all, she was the spitting image of his late love.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The IVs strapped to a young man's wrist while an oxygen mask covered his face. His eyes were closed, but a young girl sat in the steel-like chair watching the young man intently. She wouldn't want to leave his side. After all, he had saved her from her own father.

The memories pulsed through her just like the clear liquids in the young boy's wrists. "Sven..." the girl muttered to herself as she thought back to earlier events that happened just over two weeks ago.

"Master, why are you doing this?!" the boy had said as he looked back and forth between the dark-skinned goblin, his daughter and another young man with blonde hair that seemed to strike sharply to the side. The girl had a look sadness, while the other blonde had a murderous look in his dreamy, sky-blue eyes.

"Forgive me, Sven..." There was a loud crash as the girl watched the boy, Sven, the weakest one of the trio fall to the stony, reddish-brown earth below. His grayish eyes were widened and his mouth muttered an A. The girl screamed as a giant, ray of silver light shot out from the boy's eyes. She watched her father walk motionlessly towards the boy.

"Stop! Father, don't do this!" the girl stammered as she tried to stand by the injured boy's side. However, her body didn't move. Her legs felt like jelly. She could only stand there as she watched her father strike the boy, Sven through the heart with his dark-colored keyblade. "FATHER!"

Sven's eyes turned to her and blood drooled out from his mouth. "Akua..." the boy's hands reached out to her as he weakly muttered her name. She screamed as her father suck the last ounce of life out of her friend.

The dark-skinned goblin cast a disapproving look at the boy and stopped the painful process. He turned and left. Akua was finally able to catch the injured Keyblade Apprentice. His breathing was shallow and the wound from where her father struck him was huge and deep. The scent of blood was alarming, but she refused to leave his side.

"Hehehehe, no wonder he's useless!"

Akua cast her fellow apprentice, Uranus an ugly look. He was the other blonde in the group. The boy cast a dirty smirk at the girl as his aqua-blue eyes glistened with hatred. "Akua, if you know what's best for you...just ditch that dude. He's useless baggage. You're better off with me than him."

Akua wanted to shout back a snide remark towards the blonde-haired punk, but he had already left. The girl could only focus on her friend. She pressed his and her armor, which rested on both of their shoulders. There was a bright flash and both of them were devoured in suites of silver and lavender. Akua held out her keyblade and it transformed into a purple, metallic car. She placed Sven on the back of her levitating car and shot off into the empty, blue sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of metal clashed. A boy and a girl stood on opposite sides of the battlefield and both of them were covered in sweat. The sound of clapping echoed in the cathedral-like room. The two pupils bowed as Sven, their father entered the room. He stood between his two children as another man, much elderly and resembling a goblin stepped forth in the cathedral-like room.

"Father, who is that?" the boy asked as he tugged on his father's coat. He was only tall enough to reach his father's chest, while his sister was tall enough to reach their father's shoulders. The boy had light blonde hair, dark ebony skin, grayish-amber eyes that resembled a cat's eyes, and high cheek bones. He and sister both wore tunics that seemed to reach their knees and both of them had a pair of beige sandals.

"Sh, don't interrupt, bozo," his older sister said as she smacked the backside of her younger brother's head. He groaned and cursed silently; afraid that his sister would repeat the transgression.

The man took a seat in the stone-like throne that sat at the very end of the cathedral-like gym. "Kids," their father, Sven spoke. "I want you to meet your grandfather…." That was a long pause and both children noticed their father's serious expression towards the goblin. "Master Xehanort."

There was a brief moment of silence. The two kids had perturbed expressions on their faces. "Xen, I want you to meet your new master and grandfather, Master Xehanort." Sven's eyes locked with the goblin's. "Get your stuff ready, Xen." their father said as he turned his back and left the chapel-like room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

~A Father's Regret~

It was noon time, Xen waited at the train station with a luggage full of clothe, hygiene products, a towel, and of course his favorite item of all time; his baby blanket known as Mr. Moggles. It was a rather embarrassing that he still held onto this raggedy, blue blanket with a picture of a creature with a balloon attached to some antennae, miniature bat wings, two closed eyes that seemed to be nothing, but lines, and of course a big, round nose. He blushed once he looked at it. Why did this thing mean so much to him?

"That's right," Xen thought as he recalled a scene where he was only eight-years-old and at the school yard. A couple of large boys that resembled ogres came up to him as he sat alone under an old oak tree.

"Hey, look guys, the baby is clutching his blankie," one of the ogre boys said, while one of them proceeded to snatch the raggedy blanket from out of Xen's hands.

"Hey, no fair," Xen yelled. "Give it back!"

The ogre boy ran or rather stomped his way to the other of the three ogre boys. He snatched it and held it high above Xen's head. "C'mon, I said GIVE IT BACK!" Xen yelled as he jumped up and down trying to yank the blanket out of the boy's hands.

"Aw, does little Xenny wanna cry!" the boy said as he pushed the blonde on the dirt.

Xen's greyish-blue eyes began to swell up with tears and the three ogres could only laugh. "HEY, YOU PUNKS, LEAVE MY BRO ALONE!"

Xen turned to see his sister. She glowered at the boys with her amber-silver eyes as she clutched a wooden sword.

The boys laughed, "Ain't ya too old to play with toy swords, girly-girl?"

"Whatcha gonna do? Give us splinters."

Xia stared at the boys before smirking, "That's a very good idea, baka!"

The three ogres dashed at her, but she quickly jumped over their tomato-like heads and did a backflip. The wooden blade of her sword smacked into one of the ogre boy's back. He tumbled into his friend and now Xia was alone with one of the ogres. He glanced at his two friends, they were bickering with each other. The boy rampaged into her, but she quickly went beneath his legs.

She struck him with the edge of her wooden blade. He tumbled over and wailed. The three boys ran home to their mommies.

Xia approached her brother and handed him back Mr. Moggles.

"Thanks sis," he smiled gleefully as he rubbed his chubby cheeks against the soft fleece of his baby blanket.

Xia sat next to him and patted his head, which he replied with a loud, "HEY, DON'T TREAT ME LIKE A WITTLE KID!"

Xia snickered and brought her hands back to her side. "You really need to stop bringing that thing to school so much, Xen-kun."

Xen turned away from his sister as he stared into the sky; watching the white clouds go by. "I know, it's just that I can't let it go. It's the last thing I have to wemember mommy by."

Xia sighed and looked away.

"Hey boy, aren't ya getting on the train?!" an old man with bright spectacles and wearing a blue uniform barked as he stood at the caboose of the train.

"Uh, yes sir!" Xen said as he ran to the man and handed him his ticket. He boarded the train and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was another fierce day of training in the Badlands. The wasteland that Master Xehanort and his three apprentices called home. Today was another vigorous day of training for his three apprentices.

"Hey Uranus, do you know where that dunce is?" Akua asked.

"How should I know? You're his girlfriend," Uranus chided.

Akua's face flashed with redness. "HE IS NOT!"

"Oh whatever, Ms. Cool-n-Collected. I wanna find that runt, so that I can take the Mark of Mastery." Uranus said as he rolled his eyes.

Akua looked around and suddenly saw a figure run pass two of the plateaus. "THERE HE IS!" she yelled as she summoned her keyblade and ran after the figure.

"I'm gonna catch him first," Uranus said as he ran past her and pinned the figure to the ground. Dust flew everywhere and aqua-blue eyes met with amber eyes.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! GET OFF OF ME! YOU, INSOLENT FOOL!"

"Ugh, sorry about that master." Uranus apologized as he felt his heart race at a hundred miles an hour. Sweat seemed to sprinkle down his face as his teeth chattered with anxiety.

Akua ran up next to Uranus, "Father?" she said as she bowed to the middle-aged, dark-skinned man that was the legendary Master Xehanort. "Why are you out here?"

The man, Xehanort swiped a piece of his silver locks out of the way and glanced at his daughter. "I am just here to study your progress. Have you found him yet?"

"No father, we're still looking for Sven-kun."

"Carry on," Xehanort said as he walked away from the two apprentices. He disappeared into an oncoming sandstorm.

Akua soon heard footsteps running behind her. She turned around to see if it was Uranus, but the idiot was still trapped in his stupid trance. Perhaps, it was...Sven. Akua ran after the footsteps and quietly pounced on her unexpected prey. "I gotcha!" she roared.

The sound of clapping resounded throughout the desolate canyon. Akua turned to see as Uranus and her father, Master Xehanort approached her. "Very good, Akua-chan. You've got Sven-kun. Now, you can partake in the Mark of Mastery."

"What, but Master she's a girl!" Uranus yelled. "Surely, you would let a stud like me..."

"Shut up, Uranus!" the middle-aged man said as he approached his daughter and helped her off of the useless runt known as Sven.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Fatber, it hurts!" Akua screamed as she wobbled onto her last good leg.

She was all banged up and bruised pretty badly. "Daughter dearest, don't you want to become the ultimate weapon?"

"Huh? But, father, I thought this had to do with the Mark of Mastery Exam."

"Child, this is the exam. If you can sustain the pain and my attacks then you'll be a master."

Their blades collided with each other. Another strike from Master Xehanort's keyblade came swooping down to Akua's shoulder. Akua blocked it and turned her body around bending beneath the blade. She struck her father in the ankle with her heart-studded, pink keyblade. There was a loud uck when her father attempted to strike her back.

Akua found herself paralyzed and somehow lying on her back. Her father brought up the tip of his blade to impale her through the chest. She closed her eyes as she heard a loud gurgle. She opened her eyes to see Sven on her. He had something sticking out of his chest.

"Master...Xehanort...I'll be your tool...Don't hurt...Akua...anymore!" Sven said as he fell on top of a shocked Akua.

"Very well," Master Xehanort said as he pulled his keyblade out of the boy's abdomen and pushed him off of his daughter. "Akua, take him to the infirmary!"

"Father, what were you trying to do? Why did Sven intervene like that!?"

"Silence Akua,!"

Akua froze as she held an unconscious Sven by the armpits. "TAKE HIM TO THE INFIRMARY!" her father repeated. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

~The Three Heroes~

~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a cold, starry night. Sven sat on the edge of the castle's roof. He was dressed in his green overalls and white, long sleeved shirt; Sven had just gotten back from working the whole hot day in the fields. "I knew I would find you out here," a gentle voice said.

Sven turned around and nearly lost his balance on the shingled roof. He managed to get his balance and returned to his former seat. "Gee, there's no need to scare me like that, Akua-san!" Sven said giving the dark-skinned girl a raspberry.

Akua rolled her eyes and sat next to him or whether sat on her knees next to him. Sven sprawled back on the roof with his arms serving as a pillow. "Have you ever wandered what those stars are?" Sven asked with his gray eyes flickering towards the girl.

Akua s******ed, "Y'know very well what those stars are, Sven-kun. I don't want to repeat myself for the billionth time, idiot."

Sven chuckled, "Gee, I just want to hear it from you again, fool. After all, you were the one that got me here, remember?"

Akua rolled her eyes and shuffled Sven's already dingy, blonde locks. "Hey, cut that out!" Sven barked as he swiped a hand towards the olive-skinned keyblade apprentice. "When will ya stop treating me like a kid? I'm fifteen, the same age as you, remember?"

Akua stifled a smirk, "Last time I checked, girls mature faster than boys."

"That's sexist," Sven growled, but he then began giggling.

There was a sudden shooting star. Both Sven and Akua sighed once they saw it. "So, when is he coming..." Sven asked. He then paused and finished his question, "Back to slay me and take you back?"

Akua just stared at the night sky. Tears trickled down her eyes. "Father, why...why are you doing this?"

~~~~~~~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a loud crash. A young blonde-haired child fell backwards as he lost grasp of his wooden toy sword. "Ugh!" he gasped once his jaw and upper body collided with the marble floor.

"Get up, Useless Viento," a gruff voice demanded.

"But-" the child wanted to argue back, but a large, muscular hand pulled him back to his feet along and shoved the wooden toy sword back into the boy's hands.

"Viento, your brother, Ventus has already gone for training. Why you're here is testament to your worthlessness to a keyblade warrior. When I was your age I could already summon a keyblade and stab a grown man with it in a matter of two seconds."

"I'm sorry father, I'm trying hard...really I am. Just give me one more-" Viento tried speaking, but he was cut off by his father's loud voice.

"That's enough training for today, Viento. We'll pick up first thing at 3 am in the morning. Now, GET BACK TO CLEANING UP THIS DOJO!"

The steel door slammed shut with a BANG. Viento sighed as he went to the closet to fetch the mop and bucket. "Stupid dad, why does he think Ven's so great?! I could be just as great, if father hadn't sent that baka off with that goblin."

_

"You really should stop putting so much strain on the boy, Uranus-dear," a gentle voice belonging to a petite, blonde-haired woman said as she came out from the kitchen with a tray full of hot chilly.

"Marina, you know what happens if I go soft on the boy. He'll end up a disaster just like my friend, Sven. Do you really want me to lower our son to the standard of that fool?!"

"I know how you feel about Sven, dear. But, maybe it's time you let Viento go out and see the world. He's only twelve-years-old and I think Sven-kun might-"

"ARE YOU FRIGGIN' CRAZY?! ARE YOU SUGGESTING I SEND OUR SON OFF WITH THAT LOSER?!" Uranus banged his goblet onto the wooden table, which formed cracks in it.

Marina locked eyes with her husband. She placed the tray down and turned away from him. "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!" Uranus yelled.

"Where do you think I am going?! I am sending my boy to be trained by that 'loser' you so despised."

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Uranus bellowed as he ran up to his wife and attempted to slap her.

She grabbed his fist and twisted it. Uranus saw a ferocious glare in his wife's face. He backed away and cussed. "Fine, but you don't even mention my name to that loser!"

"Okay darling," Marina cooed as she waved goodbye to her husband as he stepped out of their cabin to go to the local tavern.

_

Sven called his daughter, Xia in for an important announcement. She came brawling into the office and nearly toppled over. "Yes fa-I mean Sven-sama!" she said with just one breath.

"Xia, I've decided on something. I've trained you for far too long. So, I've decided..."

Xia's eyes nearly sparkled with excitement, "The Mark of Mastery Exam, father!"

Sven chuckled and then returned his serious expression. "No, Xia, you know I am not qualified to give such a test. I have decided to take you and two other people on as apprentices since Xen left yesterday."

"WHAT? BUT-" Xia was about to blurt out when she heard fumbling in the hallways. She turned around and saw the doors burst open. A tall, slender boy with cornrolls and dark ebony skin came sprawling into the room. He fell on his chest and muttered a soft, "Ow!"

Sven stood and helped the boy to his feet. "Xia, I want you to meet your fellow apprentice, Suello."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

~Indecisive & Disaster~

It had been a long day of training. Viento was tired and he felt like he would collapse at any moment. He looked over to his brother and then to his father. Uranus had a really skeptical and angry expression plastered on his ivory, stone-like face. Viento gulped as his father raised his hand and shouted, "FIGHT!"

Viento turned to his brother, but Ventus had already disappeared. He looked around and suddenly was knocked out of the ring. "Need a hand?" Ventus asked as he approached his younger brother.

Viento glared at the older blonde, swiped the tip of his keyblade towards his brother, and shouted, "I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP, TRAITOR!"

Ventus dodged his brother's attack and had an expression of sadness. Viento just kept glaring at the blonde. He wanted his older brother and his father to see that he wasn't the weaker half and that he had a right to bear the title of keyblade apprentice. Viento felt something heavy force him up to the air. He looked up and saw his father's muscular hand holding him by the tip of his hair.

"FATHER, LET VIENTO GO! HE DIDN'T MEAN TO-" Ventus cried as he tried to grab a hold of his father's fist, which was too massive for his scrawny hands to unlock.

Uranus looked down at Ventus. He had a look of sadness towards the older boy, but a look of absolute hatred in his eyes for Viento. "Ven, this little brat nearly hurt you I cannot forgive that, even if he is your brother and my..." It took Uranus a while to spit out the word that he so desperately wanted to avoid, but he managed to spill it, "SON!"

Uranus continued to hold Viento up by his hair and they disappeared into another room. Ventus didn't follow, because of the violent, anguish screams that came from the other room. He knew what their father was doing to Viento. Ventus pitied his brother and often tried to beg his father to stop the abuse, but Uranus never relented, even though Ven was his favorite son.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Viento sat in his room. His mother was putting on medicine on his cheeks. "Mommy, why does daddy hate?"

Marina cradled her son's head in her lap, "Your father loves you, Viento. He's just upset since your brother left."

Viento sighed, "I know he misses Ven, but why does he put so much pressure on me? I'm not Ven!"

"He just wants what is best for you, Viento. He loves you, dear."

Viento replaced his head from his mother's lap. "He has a funny way of showing it. Why can't he just treat me the same as Ventus, instead of like a second class citizen?!"

Marina was taken aback by her son's remark and slapped him across the face. "Your father loves you and Ventus just the same. And, how dare you think otherwise?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~flashback~

Akua sat in the hospital room with Sven. She watched as the surgeons preformed the operation on him. Sven's hands twitched uncomfortably. The surgeons pulled back the blanket and Akua saw the deep wounds on the boy's chest. Nobody knew what to make of it as they saw a black substance flow from the deep wound where his heart was float out. It grabbed one of the doctors and attempted to swallow him.

The surgeons screamed and Akua summoned her keyblade and struck the black smoky substance. It screeched in pain and reseeded back into the blonde's chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akua stood on the plateau with her father.

"Father, why should Sven be killed?"

"He poses a danger to you, Uranus and me. If he continues to live than he would surely destroy this world."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

~Human Heartless~

Flashback

It had just been a few days since Sven woke from his coma. He still couldn't move his nor speak; the only thing he was capable of doing was blinking, moving his eyes from side to side, and staring. Akua hated seeing her friend in this position, after all. He had nearly killed the surgeons in the room while they were operating on him. "Are you okay?" Akua asked in the most gentle, brave voice she could muster.

Sven blinked twice for yes. It was a way for them to communicate. He could only communicate with her through blinks of yes and no. One blink meant 'No' and Two blinks meant 'Yes'. It was hard seeing him in this fragile state, especially after Master Xehanort was still on the search for the two. Akua knew that Sven was dangerous, but he was still not enough for her father. After all, her father was one of the top three legendary masters in the entirety of the worlds.

Akua didn't know how to handle this. She brought out her keyblade and approached Sven's bedside. Akua held the blade over her head in her arms as she looked sadly down at her friend. "I'm sorry!" she mustered as she tried to swing the blade at her friend's chest.

Sven's eyes widened and the same large, pulsating black ooze erupted from his chest. He looked as if he was about scream, but his mouth didn't open and his lips didn't move. However, the panic in his gray pupils were enough to send chills down his and Akua's spines. "PLEASE, DON'T HURT HER! PLEASE, STOP!" Sven thought as he tried to gain as much control over these things as possible. It didn't help.

"AKUA!" Sven panicked, he could only watch as the tendrils kept beating and slicing his friend apart. Blood was everywhere and Sven just wanted it to leave her alone. What were these things? And, what was he?

Just then, the door slammed open. Sven saw a flash of black, which was hard to pick out of all the black tendrils that needlessly picked apart at his friend's body. The tendrils split apart and splashed onto the floor like ink. Sven felt the pain. He felt his eyes roll to the back of his head as he was on the verge of death.

He heard footsteps and recognized a face... The face brought a blade close to his neck, but a lone scream stopped everything before he faded into sleep. "FATHER NO!"

End of Flashback

Viento had just got off the train. He held his bags and looked to the place he was going to be staying for a while; a massive, stone castle. Viento's jaw dropped once he saw the castle, but he proceeded into the castle. The doors were kind of heavy, but he managed to get them open. He walked through the long corridors of the castle. There were numerous pillars, statues, staircases, bay windows, hardwood floors, fine carpets, and tapestries that hung all over the luxurious castle. "Hello, anybody here?" Viento called.

He got no answer back, but he did hear shouting coming from somewhere in the castle. Viento followed the shouting and opened the door. Three figures looked at him; a girl, a man and a boy. The girl looked awkwardly at Viento as she slowly removed her foot from stomping on the boy's back. The boy looked at Viento with a thankful expression and the man spoke up, "Welcome to our castle, Viento. I am proud to welcome you to our fabulous abode. My name is Master Sven," The man turned and pointed to the girl and the boy, "and this is my daughter, Xia and our servant, Suello. I am sure your here about training."

"Training? Father, you can't be serious!" Xia spat as she pointed an accusing finger towards Viento and Suello. "Don't tell me I am going to have to train alongside these imbeciles and what the heck are you thinking calling yourself a master?!"

Sven got agitated with his daughter and ushered the three students out of his office. He said to the three, "I am doing this only so I can prepare for training under one of the three great Masters."

The door slammed in the three's faces. Sven and Suello walked away while Xia stared in complete shock at the door. She banged on the door and yelled, "FATHER, LET ME IN!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sven went to his desk; quietly ignoring his daughter's bangings. He sat at his desk and pulled out a drawer. A crinkled letter was pulled out from an eggshell-white envelope. Sven read the letter, "Dear Sven-sama, I am sorry to inform you about the lost of your son, Apprentice Xen. He was a great student and I had an excellent time training him. I don't know how it happened, but the boy died under my care. I hope there are no ill feelings between us. Sincerely, Master Xehanort."

Sven crinkled the letter and turned to the trash bin. Tears flickered down his eyes as he cursed silently, "Someday Xehanort, you'll pay!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RADIANT GARDENS

A small blue-haired child sat at the steps of the porch of his house. He looked up at the star-filled sky with his older brother, Isa. "Hey Isa-chan, do you think there are other worlds out there?"

The older bluenette looked at his brother with a twinkle in his green eyes. "Of course there are, Iz. Maybe, one day, you, me and Lea can go see those worlds." Isa patted the boy's hair.

The three-year-old gave him a puppy face. "Why does that bwat have to come along?"

Isa chuckled, "I know how you feel about Lea, Iz, but he's a good person. Besides, whenever I go to the castle he always bails me out."

"Liaw," Iz said as he continued to look onward toward the dark, star-filled sky. "He's always baiwing on you. That's why I hate him!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

~The Devil's Curse~

Flashback

"Long ago, there was an epic battle between the forces of good and evil. People became greedy for the power that lurked in the entity known as Kingdom Hearts. Many people risked their lives to obtain this power, but none succeeded. The entity saw the cruelty in man's hearts and so dispersed them into darkness. These beings became what we know as Heartless."

"Kingdom Hearts took pity on man's children as they were the only glimmer of light. So, the entity separated the worlds from each other, in hopes of keeping the darkness at bay. The darkness still resides in us, children, especially, you, Sven."

The elderly woman glanced at the small, seven-year-old boy. She pointed at his heart after she said, "especially, you, Sven."

Sven wanted to ask the lady what she meant, but the woman was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sven woke from his dreams. He glanced around the room and saw Akua shuddering like a small child behind her father, Master Xehanort. The man had a look of hatred in his golden-amber eyes. He was ready to kill the boy here and now, but Akua kept uttering the words with a frantic phase, "DON'T FATHER, DON'T DO IT! STOP, DON'T HURT HIM!"

The middle-aged man glanced down at his daughter and then back to the semi-conscious Sven. "I should have killed him a long time ago!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sven's eyes widened and he then found himself in a dark world. He was able to have movement over all of his body. "Hello?" Sven called as he made his hands into the shape of a microphone. "Master Xehanort, Akua, Uranus, anybody there?"

"Why it's good to see you again, Sven? Oh my, you sure have grown a lot since the last time I saw you!" the old lady exclaimed as she rushed towards and then faded through Sven's body.

Sven's eyes widened. He was no longer in the dark world, but somewhere even more horrific. Sven recognized this place, it was the Badlands. The place where that devil Master Xehanort trained his apprentices, but at the same time it wasn't. Sven saw three figures in armor stare at each other.

"We have to stop it!" the taller figure in gray armor said.

"I know, but how? You heard what our master said. Nothing can destroy it." another figure, slightly plump in orange armor replied.

"Then one of us will have to sacrifice ourselves to destroy it, Kingdom Hearts," the last figure, a small, petit figure in white armor finished.

The other two figures stood in a shocked position, even though their faces weren't visible. "You can't be serious ?, I don't want to lose you after losing our dear master."

The figure in white let out a loud sigh and approached the plateau where the opening of the clouds was. "I have to, after all. This thing could destroy our world. I won't allow that to happen!"

The white figure approached the plateau while the two other armored figures reached out their hands to stop him. "NO!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

The gray and the orange armored figures looked at each other. They looked at the battleground below as several swords, which Sven recognized as keyblades scattered the Badlands. It almost looked like a grave yard. The two figures looked at one another and took off their helmets. Sven couldn't see either of their faces, but he saw the scattered remains of the white armor of the petite lad and his keyblade; a white skeletal-blade, which greatly resembled his own. The two figures spoke.

"We should leave now! He did his job."

"How can you say that? He's dead now, because of that thing."

Without a moment's hesitation, the figure in gray grabbed the white armored lad's keyblade and pointed it up towards an eerie heart-shaped blue moon.

"YOU IDIOT, DON'T DO IT!"

The figure in gray didn't listen to the figure in orange's pleas and shot a ray of light up towards the sky. There was a loud explosion as Sven and the other two figures watched as they along with the world were engulfed in a massive array of light.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU DOOMED US ALL!"

The words kept ringing through Sven's eyes as he no longer found himself in the Badlands or in his sixteen-year-old body. A ball bounced towards him and nearly knocked him over. A strange girl with orange pigtails ran up to him, "Hey Sven, can I have my ball back?"

The girl seemed familiar, but Sven couldn't place her. A woman with long, red-orange hair ran up to the girl and yanked the ball out of Sven's hands. She ran to her daughter and hustled the girl away, "Sweetie, I told you repeatedly NOT TO TALK TO THAT...THAT...HEARTLESS!"

"Heartless?" Sven asked as he stared dumb-founded at the woman's cold reaction to him. He had just been a bystander and now he was being accused of being a Heartless? "What was going on?" Sven thought as he ran away from the road where he met the orange-haired girl.

He went into a strange hut and saw two people that seemed to resemble him greatly and a strange man with copper skin and silver hair stare at him. The two people that looked like Sven glared at the boy and Sven ran up the stairs. He was now in a run-down old bedroom with what look like terribly drawn pictures of some type of star-shaped fruit and a strange sword. Sven touched the picture and a word flooded into his mind, "Keyblade?"

"Very good," a voice said.

Sven turned around and saw the same old hag from before. She approached him. "WHO ARE YOU?! WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE DOWNSTAIRS?! WHERE IS THIS PLACE? AND, WHAT IS A HEARTLESS?!"

The woman snickered at the boy's questions, "Boy, don't you even remember your own home? The world that you destroyed!"

Sven shuddered, "NO, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE! I AM JUST-"

"A Heartless," the woman added.

"Shut up," Sven yelled as he threw the closest thing that he could grab at the lady, which was a vase. The vase went straight through the old lady and she proceeded to mock him. "Boy, don't you remember the story I told you about? How the worlds were destroyed by darkness."

"SHUT UP!" Sven yelled as he continued to throw numerous things at the lady. "I DIDN'T KILL ANYBODY!"

"You're one of the creatures, they speak in legends. A beast that is born occasionally in one part of the world. Like the Seven Princesses of Light, who are born of pure light. You who were among thirteen pieces of darkness from the shattered remains of Kingdom Hearts must die!"

The lady once again fazed through the boy. He screamed as he was back to his teenage self. The village that Sven was in now was now in ruins. He watched as the same two Sven-look-alike ran passed him. Sven didn't know what came out of his throat, but he called out to the figures, "MOM, DAD! DON'T GO!"

Sven watched as the two were then struck down by two stray, black tentacles. He looked back and saw the seven0year-old version of himself run passed him. The boy's eyes were bright amber, black smoke drooled out of his demonic-looking smile, and several, oozy, black tentacles went spiraling into all directions.

Sven saw the same orange-haired girl approach the boy. "NO, STAY AWAY FROM THAT BOY!" her mother yelled as she grabbed her daughter and ran.

"MOMMY, DON'T RUN FROM SVEN-KUN! HE'S A GOOD KID! HE MEANS NO HARM!" the little girl said.

"Aka, don't let that Heartless deceive you! He's a monster and I won't let you-"

The orange-haired girl, Aka screamed as one of the tentacles jabbed through her mother's forehead. Her mother's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell over. Aka was still in her mommy's arms and she tried shaking the woman awake, "MOMMY, C'MON! WAKE UP! MOMMY, DON'T DIE! SVEN'S NO MONSTER!"

She watched as the same man with copper skin approached the boy. "MISTER, DON'T HURT SVEN! HE'S A GOOD PERSON!" Aka cried.

The man didn't answer and pushed the girl aside as he was greeted by another man. This man looked like he was from the Orient. He had on a traditional kimono of some sorts and a long, skeleton-like key with the teeth resembling an E. "Let's finish this monster off! He's too dangerous to live!"

The copper-skinned man nodded and the two rushed past Aka and Sven as they rushed at Sven's seven-year-old self.

"NO, DON'T HURT SVEN! HE HURT NOBODY!" Aka cried to herself as she was now cuddling into a ball next to her mother's corpse. "SVEN, A GOOD BOY! HE NEVER HURT ANYBODY!" Aka repeated to herself as she rocked back and forth with tears coming out of her emerald-colored irises.

~~~~~~

The battle was extensive, but both men came out victorious. The seven-year-old was now unconscious. The oriental man looked down at the boy with the E-shaped teeth towering over the boy's chest. His friend sat near the boy's head and placed a hand out, ushering the man to stop. "Don't do it! This boy meant no harm." the man said as he cradled the seven-year-old head's in his lap.

The Oriental man stammered, "XEHANORT, WHY ARE YOU DEFENDING THAT THING? DO YOU SEE WHAT HE OR RATHER IT DID TO THIS VILLAGE?!" the man pointed to the wreckage of numerous buildings and dead bodies. "HE SHOULDN'T EXIST!"

The man, Xehanort looked at his friend with suspicion. "Eraqus, we all have our darkness and our light. Our master's teachings told us that both are equal. To have total light would set the worlds off balance as in the legends and the same is true of total darkness. And, besides, do you see that little girl over there?" Xehanort pointed to Aka.

Eraqus had a rather disgruntled look on his face. "Fine, you take of the boy and I will find the girl a proper home," Eraqus said in defeat as he turned and picked up the traumatized girl in his hands and left.

Xehanort looked at the boy and a creepy smile etched itself on his face. "Incredible, your power should be mine!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now, do you see what you are?" the old woman said.

"I just want to go home now, even if means my master killing me," Sven said with sadness clustered in his eyes.

"Very well," the old woman said as she once again fazed through Sven.

~~~~~~~

"Sven, please wake up! Daddy, please stop!" Akua cried as she managed to get her father to lower his blade.

Sven's eyes jutted open. The black tendrils ascended back into his chest. Master Xehanort looked at the boy and approached the boy, "I am glad to see that you're doing well, Sven. Please, I meant no harm." The middle-aged man left, but before saying, "Be sure to take care of my daughter. She really needs you!"

Sven was at a lost of words as he felt Akua's chest bump into his back. He nearly coughed, but he was happy that everything was alright now.

End of Flashback


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

~A Heartless' Cry~

Flashback

Sven stood in the nursery. His wife, Akua stood by his side as they gazed at their little bundle of joy sleeping in her crib. She suckled on her tiny fingers and both parents cooed at the loving four-year-daughter, Xia. She was the first blessing to the couple's dark past. Hopefully, everything would change now as they were expecting their second miracle.

Maybe, the darkness would finally leave them. Maybe, they finally had a chance to live out their dreams in a joyous world. After all, Sven hadn't dreams of the old hag in quite a while. She had seemingly disappeared from his thoughts. And, Master Xehanort had left the two alone. Wasn't Kingdom Hearts going to bless them, instead of curse them?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akua went into pain. Maidservants and menservants gathered around her with buckets of water, cloth, towels, and all sorts of ointment. "Lord Sven, we need to get her to the hospital. She's about to miscarry!" one of the menservants barked.

"Very well," Sven said as he called the local hospital. The ambulance arrived and Sven gathered up his sleeping daughter into his arms. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked at her dad's panicked expression, "Daddy, what's wrong?" the little girl demanded. Sven couldn't answer and rushed the two of them and the staff to the nearest hospital as they rode next to the paramedics.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Darkness begets darkness and light begets light," the old woman said.

Sven spun around quickly as he saw the old menace that had caused him so much turmoil in his youth. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" the middle-aged man demanded as he prepared to throw the closest thing to him, which happened to be a picture frame at the woman. He knew it wouldn't work, but it was worth a try.

The old woman smiled and went to Sven's son's bedside. She wiped the loose strands of blonde hair away from the sleeping boy's face and kissed him on the cheek. Sven threw the picture frame at the woman, but it quickly landed and crashed into the wall. "LEAVE XEN OUT OF THIS!"

The old woman chuckled and she now teleported behind Sven's back. "Don't you remember me, Sven? Don't you remember what you did to my village and my mother?"

Sven's eyes widened, "AKA!"

The old woman nodded, "Yes, I am glad you remembered me."

"How," Sven stuttered.

The old woman, Aka snickered, "Simple, after my mother died. That man that wanted to destroy you took me away to another world. This world, I believe it is called Radiant Gardens. I gave birth to a child, but unfortunately died there. A couple know as the Amagis took my infant son into their care. But, as I was dying I never forgot the pain you caused me."

Aka appeared behind Sven's back and tackled the man onto his son's bed. "After all, I'll destroy your life like you destroyed mine!" The old woman cackled as she faded away.

Xen opened his eyes and pulled back frantically as his dad was on top of him. "FATHER?!" the boy sputtered.

"It's not what it looks like, Xen. I just came to see how you were doing, nothing more and nothing less. I will never hurt you or your sister, Xen. I NEVER WILL!"

End of Flashback

Two boys raced to the top of the staircase. "C'mon Isa," the redhead said. "Do you want me to leave you and those pipsqueaks behind?"

Isa looked at the redhead from the bottom of the stairs. "Lea, I'm sorry, but I have to look after these two. Unlike you, I promised my parents that I would look after my little brother, Iz and his friend, Eli."

Lea snickered, "Boy Isa, you sure have your hands wrapped up with taking care of those two brats. I should have left you at home to play nanny, instead of bringing you along."

Isa rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to show the tykes the castle and I am not planning on getting thrown out by Dilan and Aeleus like last time, Lea."

Lea shrugged and headed up the stairs, "Fine, I'll be sneaking into the castle and seeing what those creeps are up too. I'll leave you to play babysitter."

Isa sighed and picked up the two tykes from their strollers and headed up the stairs, "Sometimes Lea, I just don't understand you."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

~Dreaded Desire~

Uranus looked up at his attacker as he laid bleeding badly from his late wife, Marina. The attacker pulled up his weapon and left. "Why...did...you...do...this?!" Uranus said as he collapsed to the floor due to the excessive amount of blood loss.

Viento had returned home from training. It had been awhile since he had arrived home. He wanted to show his brother and his parents how bad-ass he had became. However, there was nobody to greet him at the manor.

Viento went to the door after he pulled out the house key from the secret spot, which sat in the bushes. Viento let himself in. His eyes immediately widened when he saw the horrific scene that greeted him. "WHAT THE-" Viento said as he was at a loss for words. His thoughts went to his family.

He ran through the maze-like mansion calling several servants and even his own family's names. Viento heard a low moan coming from the upper hallway; his parents' bedroom. He ran up the spiral staircase with his blade; Begetter in hand. He readied the V-shaped teeth as he cautiously let himself in. "MOM, DAD!" Viento said as he ran over to his parents' bodies.

"Viento?" his father said as the boy held his father's dying carcass in his arms. Tears rushed to his hands.

"FATHER, WHO THE HELL DID THIS TO YOU?!" Viento demanded, but he received no answer.

"FATHER, FATHER, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON'T GO! DON'T DIE ON ME!" Viento threw his body to the side as he stood angrily. The hilt of Begetter was held so tightly in his hands that drips of blood began to crack out. "WHOEVER DID THIS IS GONNA PAY?!"

``````````````````````````````````````  
Viento arrived back at his master's manor. He was rather upset at the numerous causalities of his staff and the deaths of his parents. Viento was also angry; angry at Ventus. Why wasn't that goody-tissue there? Why wasn't he there to stop whoever or whatever was responsible? Why didn't he stop their father's death? Their father, Uranus favored Ventus over Viento. So, it should have made sense for Ventus to be there.

"Hey, nice to see you back! How was your trip?" Suello said as he swooped in with a backflip and a swing from his keyblade; Earthquake. Viento blocked the older boy's strike and sent a glare towards the black keyblade wielder.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK IT WENT?!" Viento cussed as he sent Suello flying backwards into a wall.

There was a loud crash and dust filled the whole courtyard. Suello stood up and shouted angrily at the boy, "HEY DUDE, THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR?! I WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP, BUT YOU TOTALLY WENT BERSERK ON ME! WHAT'S YOUR DEAL, MAN?!"

Viento sent him a cold, uncaring death glare. He ran towards the black keyblade wielder and Suello did a back-flip to avoid the swing. He steadied himself on Earthquake and twisted around the hilt to where his feet were now connected to Viento's abdomen. Viento fell on his butt on the damp grass. Suello approached the blonde cautiously and reached a hand towards the twelve-year-old. Viento nearly slashed off Suello's face by a mere inches. Drips of crimson liquid trickled down the scratch that Begetter had made.

Suello was furious now. He reached for Earthquake and held it as he was about ready to strike. "DUDE, WHAT'S YOUR FRIGGIN' PROBLEM?! I TRY TO BE NICE AND YOU ALWAYS TREAT ME LIKE DIRT!"

"That's, because you are dirt," Viento said as he got back to his feet.

Suello got mad and the two were about to clash when Xia interrupted their fight. "KNOCK IT OFF BOTH OF YOU!" Xia ordered.

Viento and Suello stopped their strikes as they were about to connect with Xia. Both boys now held their respective keyblades by their sides and coldly glared at each other. Xia returned a more ferocious glare towards the two boys, which sent shivers down their faces. She turned to Suello and then to Viento, "WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU TWO, IDIOTS?! WHY WERE YOU ABOUT TO KILL EACH OTHER?!"

Suello said, "I was only trying to be nice to the brat after he got back from his-"

"Shut up," Viento yelled.

"Viento?" Xia and Suello said in unison. "I'm out!"

Viento picked up Begetter and transformed it into a skateboard-like machine and clad himself in his black cloak. He left before the two could react.

Meanwhile, a figure watched from the windows as he watched the boy leave. A sigh went out of his face and he turned towards a portrait of his late wife and late son. "I'm sorry Akua and Xen, but I had to do it! I had to kill Uranus. I want you back!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Xia's POV

I can't believe that idiot. What was he thinking?! I mean, he just return from his trip to Skylander's Paradise and nearly kills Suello. Of course, Suello is just at fault as Viento is, but I still don't get it. What's Viento's problem? Why can't he ever be open with any of us?! Sure, Suello can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but Viento is never open. He always has this expression of gloom and doom plastered all over his face. Can't he see that Suello, father, and I care about him?

Journal, I have to let you go for now. My father's calling me to make dinner. Jeez, I wish that man would stop demanding so much from me. He's grown for crying out loud. Why can't he make Suello do the cooking? Oh, on second thought, journal, that's probably not a good idea. Suello nearly burnt down the castle last time and the Turkey he made came out AWFUL!

Anyways, journal, I'll talk to you later. My stupid father's calling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ATLANTICA

"Dear brother, why are you abandoning us? Your dear mother and your precious sisters," a woman with pale green skin and long, white hair said as she ran one of her octopus-like tentacles against a young, red-head's face.

The boy backed away and glared at the three. "Because, you ruled your part of the kingdom that father gave you with cruelty. As a leader, you should care for your subjects and not let them starve. And, worst, you sought to conquer my portion of the kingdom that father gave me."

"Oh dear Triton, you don't understand anything about being a king, do you?" the half-octopus, half-woman said as she approached the ginger-haired boy.

Triton held his triton close to the woman's chest.

"Mother," the woman's daughters, Ursula and Morgana shouted as they watched their half-brother nearly kill their mother.

"Get out of my kingdom!" Triton looked at the woman that his father had taken as a concubine and then his dreaded half-sisters. "All of you, you're no longer welcome to Atlantica!"

The three hissed as the half-woman, half-octopus wrapped her tentacles around the waists of her two daughters and swam off.

"TRITON, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE LAST OF US! WE'LL BE BACK AND DESTROY YOUR KINGDOM!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Years had passed and the young ginger-haired child had became a man. He married his darling fiancée, Athena. The two kissed on their wedding day as the sea horse pronounced them husband and wife.

It wasn't soon till the couple had their first daughter, Aquata. Athena held the newborn in her arms and smiled gently as she swam the small girl back and forth in her arms. Her greenish-blue eyes stared joyfully at the newborn as it yawned quietly. Athena placed Aquata into her basinet and swam off.

A pair of yellow eyes watched from the shadows. "Triton, brother-dear, you'll pay for humiliating mother and us like that!" the figure said as she swam off leaving a trail of black ink behind.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

~The Journey Begins~

Flashback

"Master Xehanort, please stop this!" Ventus yelled out to the goblin.

The old man glanced at his pupil with emotionless eyes. He tossed the boy aside as he approached Xen. The master's grandson lay on the ground. His eyes were pure gold and there seemed to be black ink flooding out of him.

Master Xehanort brought his black keyblade to his side. He smiled manically at the boy as he struck Xen with his blade. "NO MASTER, PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM!" Ventus yelled as he grabbed a hold of the goblin's coat's hem.

Master Xehanort swiped his hand at Ventus knocking him towards his friend, Xen. Ventus tried to shake the boy awake, but his master kicked him away. He could only watch as Xen was struck with the ray of light from the goblin's dark ebony blade.

A piercing, inhuman shriek was released. Ventus closed his ears as he watched Xen suffer at the contact of the ray. The light caused a massive explosive and Ventus covered his eyes. "GET UP, VENTUS!" the goblin bellowed as he forced the young blonde apprentice to his feet.

"MASTER, WHY!?" Ventus demanded, but the man just ignored his desperate, anger-inducing question. The man smiled and held something like a glowing, purple orb in his gloved hand.

Ventus backed away, "MASTER, PLEASE DON'T! DON'T HURT ME!"

The man chuckled as he grabbed the thirteen-year-old and forced the ball into his chest. Ventus' bubble-blue orbs rolled to the back of his head. He screamed as the ball entered his chest. He felt his muscles contort upon impact. He screeched the same inhuman shriek that Xen had. Master Xehanort tossed the boy to the side and watched with anticipation as several rays shot out of Ventus' mouth and abdomen. "Part One of my plan is complete. Now, it's on to Part 2."

End of Flashback

Suello's POV

I can't believe the brat left. I tried playing nice with him, yet I still get yelled at, because of him. I miss the times when I could just fight him outright, but due to Xia's sensitive temper; I can't. Those things have come to an agonizing end. I really detest Viento sometimes, but I feel like he's a troubled spirit.

I am heading as we speak after him. I may not have the armor, but I've managed to sneak one of the black coats from Master Sven's office. He won't miss it! But, I have to hurry. The sun is almost up, which means that if I am not out of here; I'll get found out.

I already have enough humiliation under my belt due to Xia thinking I am some lowly servant. Yeah, that's partly true, but I am not just the boy that washes the dishes, chops wood, and mops. I have so much potential, which Sven-sama saw after I lost my mom and my little sister, Emma in a fire. And, because my dead-beat-dad was never around, Sven-sama is the closest thing to a father that I have.

I HATE CROSSING HIM! But, it can't be helped. I have to bring Viento-kun back.

Xia's POV

I can't believe those two. They took my father's dark coats and left. Suello, Vi, what the heck are you two thinking?! Dad's gonna kill me! But, it's up to me to risk my neck like always to save you from getting busted. You idiots owe me, big time!

End of Xia's POV


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

~A New World~

Viento's POV

I need some time away from those dolts. They don't understand me! I just need to get away, because of what happened back in my home world to my family and everyone else at the manor. Where is Ven?

He should have been there to help me find the jerk responsible, but NO HE WASN'T THERE! Does Ventus even care about our family? He was mom and dad's favorite. I always got pushed to the back. So, why wasn't he there?! I'll never forgive Ventus for not being there! If I see that jerk again, I'll clobber him in his face till he's dead or I get all the anger out, which ever one comes first.

Anyways, I am coming up to some strange world. I can barely breath as everything is underwater. There is a bright, glowing, gold castle nearby. I might want to check it out, but first I need to find some way to adapt to this environment. I can't believe I am going to have use this dumb magic trick, but I am quickly running out of air.

Suello's POV

It has been four days since Vi left. I tried finding him, but I am almost low on gas. Boy, this thing sure is useless when it comes to gas. You can barely go one mile without it breaking down. Oh boy, I guess I have to stop at this world. Vi really owes me BIG time for me chasing his sorry butt out here.

I guess, I'll have to continue my search for Vi. I hope Xia isn't too upset with me for chasing off her boyfriend. What am I thinking?! Vi has no shot with Xia, I'm the only one that does. No, the three of us are just friends!

"VIENTO, YOU REALLY OWE ME BIG TIME ONCE I CATCH UP WITH YA!"

Anyways, journal, I have to go. I'm running low on energy and I can't seem to breath. I guess I have to rely on one of those magic tricks that Xia taught me. She said she's used to going to places like Atlantica, I think it's called. Don't know how, but I guess that's one of the quirks that comes with being Sven-sama's daughter.

I hear somebody coming, so I better go. The fat lady with the octopus-lower half looks suspicious. She might lead me to Vi.

Xia's POV

Dear Journal, I don't boys. I mean, yeah, my brother was confusing. He always got into trouble and I always had to bail him out. But, he's gone now. I have to worry about Suello and Viento now. My father has gotten crazy since my brother left, I wonder why.

He hasn't come and told me about anything, but he'll do it when he's ready. I can only hope that Xen didn't get on grandpa's bad side. He is so reckless that way. I've been gone for five days now looking for those two. Am I the only mature one? Suello and Viento seem to only run away from their problems and my brother only ignored them. I hope Xen's doing okay. I haven't gotten a letter from him.

But, journal, don't get the impression that I am an overbearing sister, because I am not. Sure, I was there to beat up my brother's bullies, but that only seemed to make him furious. Besides, no boy likes getting saved by a girl, especially if that girl is his sister.

Journal, I have to go. I am going to keep an eye on this woman. Something about her just sends me on edge. Au revoir, journal, until I write in you again shall we meet.

Atlantica

Sven stood in the Leviathan's lair with Ursula. The young plump girl had now become an extremely obese sea witch. She cooed at her pet eels for a bit and then went to her coral-like cauldron. "So, you want to get your family back, eh?" Ursula asked with a bit of flamboyance.

"Yes," Sven said in a monotone voice.

"Alright honey, I'll tell you what," Ursula swam over to her small library of scrolls and pulled one of them out. She then grabbed a pen. "If you will just sign on the doted light. I'll help you get your family back."

"But, if you don't," Sven pointed his keyblade, Skull Cracker at her. "I'll tear your heart out and destroy this world!"

Ursula's eyes widened a bit, but she quickly gained her composure. She chuckled a bit, "Alright, we have a deal, but please put that thing down, sweetie!"

"Only if you promise not to betray me," Sven said with enough venom in his voice that he made the witch cringe.

"Alright, you have a deal," Ursula shook the man's hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A ceremony took place where several merfolk gathered. The king and the queen along with their six daughters swam to the throne room. Athena, the queen of Atlantica swam to a crib-like throne, which seemed to be made of coral. Athena placed something wrapped in a teal blanket onto the throne. The queen pulled away the blanket as her husband, King Triton and their six daughters stood around the crib. A bright, red-haired infant was revealed.

King Triton smiled as he picked up the baby and revealed her to the crowd. The crowd cooed at the tiny infant. She was a spinning image of Queen Athena. The baby girl had a green tail fin and large, aqua-blue eyes. The baby waved her hands happily as King Triton placed her back into her coral throne.

A red crab swam to the King and the Queen's side. He smiled lovingly at the tiny infant and then swam towards the crowd and announced, "People of Atlantica, I would like to introduce to you all, Princess Ariel!"

The crowd cheered, but the moment of peace between the two monarchs and their seven beautiful daughters was interrupted by a large tentacle. It wrapped around Queen Athena and the ceremony became a commotion. "MOMMY!" the six, little girls yelled as they swam away to the closest safest spot they could find, which was behind their father along with their infant sister, Ariel.

"Daddy, what's going on?!" the eldest, Attina said as she stared fearfully as a large cloud of ink disappeared to reveal a ghastly obese figure.

King Triton's eyes narrowed, "You! Why are you here?!"

The figure, Ursula laughed, "Oh dear Triton, I'm here for revenge. After all, if you don't hand over the triton than your precious wife dies."

King Triton glared at the sea witch, but then looked towards the trembling eyes of their seven daughters. "Daughter, please save mommy!"

Triton exhaled a deep breath and picked up his triton. He then threw it, but it wasn't Ursula that caught it. A man with light blonde hair and a goatee caught it. He had gray eyes and the lower half of him seemed to be that of a manta ray. "Hand over the triton," the sea witch bellowed.

"Sven, give me back my triton!" the king said.

The man smiled demonically and shot a ray of light from his keyblade, Skull Cracker at the sea witch and then tossed the triton towards Ursula. Ursula glared at the man and demanded, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"You were taking up too much of my time," Sven said as he opened a dark corridor and swam through it.

King Triton looked to one of his guards to get his daughters out of the throne room. The guard in the gold coral armor obeyed the order and held the infant Ariel as another comrade of his gathered the six daughters and left the palace. King Triton went to his wife's aid. She was breathing heavily.

"Athena-dear, are you okay?" King Triton said as he cradled his dying wife in his arms.

She could barely open her eyes and kissed her husband, "Take care of our daughters, Triton!" Athena took her last breath and stopped moving.

Triton was now furious. He glared at the sea witch and called his triton. The triton came to his aid and Ursula spat as the king pursued her, but the two eels, Floatsam and Jetsam proved to be the sea witch's getaway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Viento's POV

I can't believe what I saw. How could Sven kill that person? Maybe, he was the person that killed my father and my mother. If so, I won't forgive him. I feel like I am losing everything, including my own sanity. My family is dead, my brother is a coward, and my master might be a traitor. What do I have to live for?

I need to at least avenge my father since Ven cannot do so. I don't want to go out without who killed my family. I have to avenge them! Other than that, nothing else matters.

Suello's POV

I tried to help the Queen from dying. I arrived too late. I can't believe Sven-sama turned traitor. I wasn't expecting to see King Triton to be distraught as he was. I really wish I could have helped, but he nearly killed me with that pitch-fork of his. Too many things are just going wrong, I don't know how to work them out. I have to continue to look for Vi. I really hope he hasn't done anything stupid yet.

Xia's POV

Seeing King Triton sitting in his throne and watching as the seahorses pulled a coral coffin was too much. King Triton played his wife's music box and just nearly cried. It was the first time I ever saw him cry. I heard that one of his daughters, Attina, I believe was saved by Suello from a crashing pirate ship. I tried to ask them where Suello was, but King Triton was busy and Sebastian turned me away.

I don't know what else to do, so I am going to leave this world to look for Suello and Viento. I hope those idiots haven't gotten into too much trouble.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

~Sleepy Hollow~

Xia was offered a bed in a strange town. The people were dressed in strange clothing that reminded the young girl of pre-Revolutionary times. The men had varying colors of hair just as did the women; some had gray, some had orange, some had yellow, some had brown, some had black and some had no hair at all. Xia looked around the town, everyone from little children to the elderly hags and gentlemen gave her strange looks. Of course, it would make sense since she was not from their world.

Their town stunk of feces from horses and cattle. Xia had to be careful wherever she stopped. She seemed to be watching her every step, but she managed to knock into somebody. It was a middle-woman that had a baby in her arms. She screamed and smacked Xia in the face, "WHAT DO YE THINK YOUR DOING HARRASSING ME IN AND MY BABE?!"

The baby nestled in the woman's arms wailed loudly. Xia had to close her ears as she tried to apologize profusely to the woman. The plump lady glared at the girl, but then a commotion interrupted the woman. The woman turned around and headed back into the house. She looked out the window and Xia was astonished at the person that she saw pass her by.

A slim man with a hooked nose with green clothing on and a funny hat walked pass her. Xia heard the woman and so many of the other townspeople break out into song, "Who's that comin' down the street? Are they shovels or are they feet? Lean and lanky skin and bone, with clothes a scarecrow would hate to own."

The horses began to cower as they tried to hide under the barrels and the dogs went insane with howling. "Who's that man," Xia tried to ask one of the townspeople, but the person just ignored her. She got her answer as the town continued in their song, "Yet he has a certain air  
Debonair and devil-may-care."

One of the ladies whispered into another's ear. They gawked at the man as they sang, "It's the new schoolmaster. What's his name?"

The tall man went over to the woman and removed his funny hat. He curtsied in front of the lady and closed his eyes as he said, "Ichabod, Ichabod Crane."

Xia thought as some of the ladies blushed as he passed them by, "Ichabod, what a name! Kind of odd but nice just the same. Funny pan Funny frame Ichabod, Ichabod Crane."

Ichabod may be quaint. May be odd and maybe he ain't. Anyway there's no complaint. From Ichabod, Ichabod Crane."

The man was now out of sight and everybody went back to their business. Xia sighed as the sun was going to set. It was getting late and she needed to find a place to rest her weary head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was now nighttime and Xia did find a house to sleep in. The husband was a short-statured man with a heavy, gray beard and the woman was the same plump woman that Xia had bumped into. The husband and his wife and their twenty-three kids and Xia gathered downstairs to feast.

It was quite a hassle to get even a scratch of meat to eat. Xia sighed as one little, blonde-haired boy with dark colored eyes offered her a turkey leg. The girl thanked him as she began to bite into it. Moments passed and Xia was now helping the woman with cleaning up the table as the older siblings were helping the younger ones and themselves into their bedtime clothes and the father was smoking a pipe in front of the fire place.

Xia finally managed to get a room, but she had to share with the couple's six daughters. She snuggled into bed with one of them, but the girls kicked her out of the single bed that they all shared. So, Xia just decided to spin the night on the floor. After all, she didn't want to smell that braided blonde ditz large, smelly feet all night or be kicked by them


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

~The Cursed Child~

Flashback

It had been away, a couple, Gloria and Gad had brought in a new life into their world. Their oldest son, Ran looked at the newborn cradled in his mother's arms. "Mommy, who is that?" the little boy said as his head popped over the end of the bed.

Gloria glanced towards her son as she let the newborn suckle from her bosom. "This is your little brother, Sven," Gloria said to her son as she watched the boy suckle from her nipple.

He pulled away and she burped him. Gloria pulled her blouse up and headed over to the bassinet where she laid the small infant down on his back.

Ran went over to his mother and she picked him up. "Mommy, what type of name is Sven?"

Gloria turned away from her son for a swift second and recalled some horrid memories.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been about a month ago, Gloria had just given birth. The village elders among them, a man named Thomas walked in. They barged into the house as several of the midwives bowed before the four male elders. "What is the meaning of this, father?!" Gloria demanded.

Thomas sneered at his daughter and pulled the baby from her arms. There was wailing as she tried to grab her infant, but her father pushed her down and held the baby over her arms. Thomas peeked at his grandson's eyes. The child's eyes were swollen, but the elder could faintly see traces of gold sip out of the boy's eyelids. The baby wailed and tendrils shot out of his fingernails and headed towards one of the other elders.

One of the elders struck the dark tentacle down with his mighty ax and caused the child to release an unearthly scream.

"Stop father, stop all of you, you're hurting my child!"

Thomas threw the infant on the ground. He wailed and shivered as his tiny arms flung about. Thomas brought out his sword and was about to stab the child through the heart. Gloria knelt over her son and protected him, "FATHER, DON'T!"

Thomas sheathed his sword back in as his daughter's head bent up to look at his. "I won't let you hurt my son! Why do you wish him dead?"

Thomas answered, "Because, I and my fellow elders have seen what this child will do. He is a Heartless or a Child of Darkness. One of the broken thirteen shards of Kingdom Hearts that were supposed to be locked away in the Realm of Darkness."

"So, what if he is! I won't let you kill him!"

Thomas rolled his eyes and smacked his daughter against her pale face, "According to our law, everybody is required to have at least one child. If anybody has more than the whole village will have no resources to provide for the extra mouths."

"I DON'T CARE!"

Thomas looked hard at his daughter and he and the other three elders left the tent.

End of Flashback

The bright sunlight and the endless chattering of birds outside woke Xia from her dreams. She got up and stretched a bit as she noticed that the girls had already left. Xia sighed and got her stuff as she went out the door.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13  
~A Broken Deal~

Ursula swam around her cauldron. She grumbled and mumbled as she tossed living creatures contained in glass bottles into the coral cauldron. "That fool! How could double-cross me like that?!"

Suddenly, a black portal opened up. Sven showed up, which greatly upset the sea witch. "I thought we had a deal!" Ursula said.

"We did, but you were taking too long," Sven retorted.

"Well, excuse me for gloating," Ursula said as she snapped her fingers as a magical scroll appeared. "Also, about our deal..."

"The deal is off and since I kept my bargain, which you failed to keep. I suppose that means that you are going to feel the affects," Sven said as he repeated the sea witch's words back to her.

Ursula went pale. A giant swirl of waves surrounded her plump figure. The waves dispersed and a light purplish figure was left behind. It resembled Ursula due to it's large, rounded figure. Sven scoffed and left via dark corridor as the sea witch now in polyp form went up to her cabinet to get a potion to get her back to her previous form.

~~~~~~~~~

Xia's Entry

I don't know how this happen. It seemed like months had passed since I last saw my father, Viento and Suello. I almost settled down in this world until something horrific happened.

Nobody knew how it happened, but Ichabod Crane, the schoolmaster had vanished. Bram Bones then married Katrina. Everybody kept whispering and gossiping about a legendary figure named the Headless Horseman.

According to what I've heard other than Bram Bones being the supposed Headless Horseman that possibly chased the schoolmaster out of town just for Katrina's hand in marriage. But, I don't believe that for one reason. I was nearly killed by the Headless Horseman.

It had all started out as a normal night. I managed to earn enough cash to buy a mule. It was a male and had a mangy gray coat. I saddled up on the mule with a bag full of clothes, food, and other trinkets that I had managed to collect and buy from living in Sleepy Hollow. I passed by the old church. And, the sky began to darken as the full moon came up.

The owls screeched and the crickets chirped. Everything seemed so quiet that I could only whistle. The mule I had with me was starting to panic, but I patted his head to coax him. "It'll be okay, Wally. I won't let anybody hurt you."

The sounds became too intense. I screamed at the old wooden bridge. "Come out, I know you're out there! Come and get me like you did, Ichabod!"

A loud cackle erupted from in front of me. It was the infamous Headless Horseman. Wally panicked so bad that he knocked me off. I was now alone with the demon. I tried my best to outrun him, but he threw his pumpkin head. Of course, I dodged the pumpkin as I crossed the bridge and transported myself away via dark corridor.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

~The Mystery Begins~

Suello's POV

I don't know how I got here. It's been a month since I left the chateau. A lot of things have happened and I still haven't ran into either Master Sven, Xia or Vi. This is really scary, especially since there is this overgrown pooch going into the castle. I don't know if he is inside yet, but he seems to have his eye on the lady with the light blonde hair and light blue dress. How am I going to warn her since I am only eleven inches tall?!

Her hair is up and he seems to have some little, red-haired girl that looks like a humanoid cat with him. She has pig-tails with the rest of her orange-red hair all the way to her back. The girl is quite attractive unlike the bulldog next to her who is an eyesore. Princess Cinderella is with her husband, Prince Charming out on the balcony overlooking the town below while I am sneaking my way inside.

Oh boy, here comes a cat! GOTTA RUN! Hopefully, that mouse hole will hide me from that kitty cat or else I am lunch.

Viento's POV

It has been a month since I have left. The cottage is a mess and I better clean it up before Grumpy has my head. Sure, he is a midget, but his temper rivals the devil himself. I can barely get any work done since those seven have been for over a week. When, they get back; I am gonna quit! But, for now I need a roof over my head. I may despise being the dwarfs' maid since the woman that was living with them before-Snow White moved away and married a prince.

Happy, the leader of the group told me that they had went to her wedding. It was 'one the most divine things I ever did see', Happy had said. He even went on about the bachelor's party they had afterwords. I want get into much detail, because if I did I might just castrate myself, because of how drunk Dopey was. When Happy told me the story I lost my lunch.

Anyways, I better get back to my chores. There's no telling how pissed Grumpy is going to be, especially with the stink coming from Sleepy's bed sheets. Gee for a guy that spends most of his time napping, he sure has a lot of accidents. It's even worst that they don't even have a restroom in this small shack. So, you guessed right, if you're a boy or a girl you have to use the restroom outside in the forest.

Xia's POV

Dear Journal, it's been a month since I've left in search of my two idiot friends; Viento and Suello. I hope they haven't gotten into too much trouble, especially with all the disasters I've seen so far. The creatures, I think they are called Heartless if my dad's stories are correct. He said that grandpa made him battle them everyday, but that's aside from that. I've seen so many lives devastated. It's not even funny.

I returned to the chateau for clues regarding my brother's disappearance. It was strange, because the place was completely empty. I heard screams coming upstairs. A maid was running, but she fell to her knees and something, I think her heart flew out of her chest. The bright, magenta light turned into some kind of Heartless. I don't know what type, but I can tell you what it was based on it's bug-like amber eyes and it's dark, shadowy face. The Heartless disappeared in a fog of black smoke.

I couldn't bother as I heard a scream coming from the third floor, "HELP!"

I recognized that voice. It belonged to Royce, the head butler. I headed to the servants' quarters and found two of those Heartless clawing at his chest due to the condition he was in. He could barely fight. His face was pale and there was so much blood everywhere. Royce used his hands to crawl away from the small monsters and I rushed into action. Royce was behind me, my fists were now bleeding and bruised badly. The creatures tried to swipe at my chest, but I backed away. Protecting Royce from their dirty, little clutches. I recalled what my father used-his keyblade. The creatures backed away as they saw that I summoned my keyblade to my side, they disappeared.

I looked to Royce and the plump man with the tufts of silver hair could barely move. I found a room and placed him on the bed, even though it was one of the servants' beds. "Royce, what happened?" I asked.

The man that I had been like a second father to me glanced at me. His gray eyes were pained and red. "Water," he said with his dry, cracked voice.

I went to the bathroom and grabbed a porcelain mug. Filling it to the brim with water as I entered the bedroom. I placed it close to Royce's lips, so that he could drink. He couldn't hold it down and vomited up the contents of his previous meal and the water on my sleeveless, light blue blouse.

"Royce...what...happened...?" I asked once more.

"Sven, he brought a strange woman here. She brought these things here and everything went-" Royce's voice stopped and I tried shaking him. His gray eyes stared into mine unblinking. His arm hanged from the cot. My second father was gone. He could no longer he hear me, so I closed his eyelids shut with my index finger of my right hand. "I'll find out what happened, Royce-dono!" I said in a light whisper as I left the room.

Present Day  
Traverse Town

A thirteen-year-old boy with jet-blue hair searched the contents of an old chest that sat in the attic. His childhood friend that he tried a room with, Eli was outside exploring the second district. Their nanny or Ms. Fuego told the boys repeatedly to stay away from that side of town. It was too dangerous as the Heartless lurked in that side of town.

Of course, Iz cast his worries to the back of his mind and searched the chest until he pulled something heavy out. It was an ancient, yellow knapsack of some kind. Iz searched the contents of the bag and pulled out something. It was a letter; the envelope was covered in smudged and looked like it had a few rips in it. Iz's curiosity got the best of him and he opened the letter.

He read, "DEAR IZ AND ELI, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER ME OR RADIANT GARDENS!"

"Radiant Gardens, what's that?"

"I HOPE YOU ARE READING THIS LETTER, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU REALIZE WHAT'S GOING ON. THE APPRENTICES OF KING ANSEM HAVE CAUSED HAVOC IN THE CITY AND KIDS AND GROWN-UPS ARE VANISHING LEFT AND RIGHT. AT FIRST, IT WAS THE ORPHANED IENZO AND THE QUIET GUARD, AELEUS. BUT, I FEAR IT'S GOTTEN WORST, IZ. YOUR OLDER BROTHER, IZ THE OTHER DAY WENT TO THE CASTLE TO LOOK FOR ELI. THE BRAT SOMEHOW GOT OUT OF MY SIGHT. ELI TURNED OUT TO BE SAFE, BUT YOUR BROTHER, HE NEVER RETURNED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT ELI AND YOUR AND ISA'S PARENTS ARE HEADING TO THE CASTLE. I AM HEADING THERE LATER ONCE THE ANGRY MOB QUIETS DOWN TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON! IF YOU ARE STILL ALIVE, BE CAREFUL! SIGN LEA THE HOTHEAD!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15  
~Tsubaki~

Viento's POV

I don't know how it happened, but the dwarfs never returned. They have been gone for three weeks now and none of them have returned. I am going out to search for them, but I better be careful. There are these dark shadows lurking about. It's strange as the once-blue sky is now a pitch charcoal gray and the deer, quails, and other animals that I am used to seeing in these now-thorny woods have all, but disappeared. The shadows lurk, I better watch my back.

But, other than the shadows, there is something that is of a bigger concern. According to Happy, Snow White came to visit one day and her stepmother, the Evil Queen came as well. The dwarfs had to fight her off after the apple incident. And, the old hag ended up plummeting to her death off of a cliff.

The reason why I am telling you this, journal is, because the hag is back. I don't how it's possible, but some girl with red pigtails and a whip of some sorts did something really weird. She called the hag, a Heartless. Whatever that means. Oh and if you're wondering how I know the hag, because I was the one that made sure she fell off that cliff.

Suello's POV

I don't know how it happened, but Princess Cinderella is gone! I met one of her rodent friends, Gus, I think. Anyways, he saved me from the cat as it tried to eat me and took me to the same blonde-haired lady I mentioned before. She kissed me on the top of my head, boy, I am embarrassed! LOL!

Cinderella gave me a small bed to sleep in. It was a boring night. Then, this morning, she snuck away from the castle to do some shopping. I followed her and I saw the same old bulldog following her. He stalked her all the way back to the castle and night had already fallen.

I went into battle, but my stupid keyblade was of no use. Cinderella had already been kidnapped by that stupid, pumpkin carriage. I think the ugly bulldog called it a Heartless. Anyways, I don't know how to explain this to Gus and his friends. Boy, I can already hear them berating me already.

How was I supposed to beat it since I am only eleven inches tall?

Xia's POV

Royce died, I still cannot believe that he's gone. Father, how could you do this to us?! What are you thinking?!

I am still searching the chateau for clues. The Heartless are still lurking and I am cautious where I tread. My father's study is a disaster. Papers are scattered everywhere, the furniture and curtains are all torn up, the large bay window's glass is completely shattered, and the place was infested with Heartless.

I beat them up, especially this one that looked like a Doberman. He had something in his mouth, which I found out was my father's report. According to my father, he had let a fairy named Maleficent take over the chateau to get Xen back. Yes, I miss my brother, but destroying innocent people's lives is not the answer!

I also found something else, which looked like a red toy mill. My father took me and my brother to a festival where we got it. He blew on it and the thing moved. It was pretty and he gave it to me. The windmill is reacting to my keyblade. Now, my keyblade is red and looks like a tsubaki flower. The blade has two 'petals' that extend further than the bud. Crimson thorns drag along the hilt and the chain. The hilt resembles a stem and the end of the key chain resembles the same windmill my father gave me


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

~The Enigmatic Redhead~

Viento's POV

The world around me is disappearing. I managed to beat the hag aka the Evil Queen. Her second death was just as gruesome as the first. The redhead girl, who upon closer inspection has tan skinned and a cat-like appearance smiled at me. Her canines along with her lips widened into a ghastly grin. She cracked her whip against my left eye.

It hurts! OH MAN, it hurts! The girl just smiled as she just left. I wanted to follow after her, but I couldn't because she threw somebody into me. We tumbled down the hill or what used to be a hill. "Ugh," I heard the figure groaned.

I opened my eye, the one that wasn't hurt by the cat-girl's whip. "GRUMPY!" my voice faltered as I managed to get up and place the usually unpleasant dwarf to the side. He was not in any good shape and he was worst off than me. I could tell that he was dying; that image will forever haunt me.

"Grumpy, what happened?!" I tried to ask in the most calm voice I could muster.

Grumpy just narrowed his eyes at me and he could barely move due to all the blood leaking from his chest. "The others, that girl...got 'em!"

Grumpy fell back down as I caught him with my hands. His body dissipated in fragments of broken silver lights. I felt tears trickle down both my eyes. "GRUMPY!" I shouted as I watched the last remnants of light soar up to the charcoal-gray sky.

I stood up with my keyblade at my side. "Grumpy, Happy, Dopey, Sneezy, Doc, Bashful, and Sleepy; I'll find some way to bring you back, I promise!"

With that promise said, the world around me crashed and vanished. I now stood floating in space. It was so cold, so lonely, so terrifying, and so miserable. "Am I going to die?" I thought.

But, I shrugged the thought off, I only had a few seconds of oxygen left. A radiant light enveloped me and a adolescent man that looked like a dog with floppy, black eyes stared at me. He whispered, "It's going to be okay! We'll take you back to our king!" The pooch cocked his head sideways and shouted an order, "PJ, START THE ENGINE! GET US BACK TO DISNEY CASTLE, PRONTO!"

"Yes sir, Captain Maxey!"

Whatever I was in took off and I fainted.

Suello's POV

I don't know how it happened, but I am back at my full height of 5'8". I owe it to Cinderella's fairy god mother. The lavender-cloaked, old maiden was nice and she even gave me a new keychain. I hooked it onto the chain at the end of the hilt of my keyblade. My keyblade was enveloped in a brilliant, gold light and it completely changed.

The blade was pumpkin orange and it spiked out like a bunch of thorns. The hilt was rectangular and had the faces of Gus and all of Cinderella's rodent and bird friends emblazoned on it in silver. The keychain was round, plump and shaped like a pumpkin. "Pumpkin of Demise," I heard the old godmother whisper.

Her eyes were tight and narrowed as she looked at the keyblade. I looked up at her. "How did you know about the keyblade and the name of this one?"

The fairly godmother turned away from me and before disappearing in a ball of lavender light, "He came and dropped this key chain!"

The lady was already gone and my master's name was the first to come up, "Master Sven?"

I had no reply, but looking closely pass the faces of the birds and the mice. I saw the name Xen. The same Xen that I had always went to school with and the master's son. Pumpkin of Demise belonged to him, but why was it here? How did the fairy godmother know about this? I put my questions to the back of my mind. I have to find Cinderella, she's in trouble! So, I left.

Xia's POV

I already left the chateau. There was no more point in staying there. I rode away on my keyblade now in the shape of a plane with some silver armor that I had found lying around. The armor was a tight fit, but it had to do. I didn't question where it came from or who owned it, because I didn't have enough time to do so. My father, what is he up too?

Rising Falls: Hollow Bastion

The Enigmatic Redhead's POV

"Pistol, Pistol, honey, where are you? Maleficent wants to have a word with you." I heard my dopey father, Pete call my name. I was training in the courtyard with some Neoshadows. I managed to pin some of them down with my whip, but my idiot father distracted me and nearly got me turned.

"WHAT IS IT, DAD?!" I dismissed the Heartless and the Neoshadows used their dark corridors to get away.

"I am sorry honey, but Maleficent wants-"

"If Maleficent wants to have a word with me, why did she have to send a fool like you?!" I barked.

"Now, Pistol, that is no way to speak-" I cracked my whip beside my idiot dad. He was going to talk to me like he did with my failure of a brother, PJ. I am not a coward like that oaf is. How could he let our mother perish at the hands of those slimy blue Unverse?!

"Fine!" I shouted as I cracked my whip one last time and left my fidgeting father behind.

If Maleficent wants to have a word with me than I'll give her what she wants.

The Castle Chapel

I met with the old hag. "Why did you have to send that failure of a dad to get me, instead of doing yourself, hag?!"

Maleficent just passed it off. She unlike my dad or my brother was hard to crack. My father would whimper whenever I threw a tantrum and my brother was the only one that ever fought back, especially since I called him fatso all the time.

"Why didn't you finish the job?" the hag demanded.

I waved my whip around a bit. "I would have finished the job if I felt like it. That keyblade wielder was just too cute to die!"

Maleficent frowned and just as she was about to send a Thundaga at me. I dodged out of the way. "Next time, I expect you to finish the job or I'll send you back to that prison."

"Whatever Maleficent, you already have Snow White and Aurora?"

"Yes, but I need five more Princesses to complete the keyhole!" Maleficent was about to send another Thundaga at me, but my idiot dad intervened. He got zapped instead and Maleficent dismissed us both.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17

~Cinderella~

Flashback

Sven walked behind the malevolent fairy. Both of them said nothing to each other. Sven glanced down at the pumpkin-shaped key chain. He remembered his little boy's delighted smile when he had made and presented it to his nine-year-old son. "Daddy, I adore it so much! Thank you!"

It seemed like a long time since he had given that key chain away. Xen was dead now and Sven was on the run. He glanced sadly at the key chain, remembering so many of the treasured memories it held. "Oof," Sven was now on the ground and the horned witched towered over him.

"Watch where you're going, you fool!" the fairy said.

Sven just glared at her and the two stared briefly at each other. "I helped you capture Princess Aurora. Now, I'll help you capture Princess Cinderella. After all, we only need five princesses left. And, once we're done. You'll resurrect my son, understand?!"

Maleficent just stared at the man and turned away from him. Her clawed hand petted her beloved raven, Diablo. She mumbled to it and said without even turning around to Sven, "Very well, but I expect you not to fail me!"

"Fine," Sven said with crossed arms. "But, if you betray me than it's off with your head!"

Maleficent didn't flinch and continued to stroll on ahead.

Sven glanced up at the moon that hung in the clear, blue sky. He whispered his son's name and placed it on a stomp. "Xen, I'm sorry!" the blonde-haired man kissed the keychain and left it behind. His plan had worked as a woman in a lavender cloak came across the keychain.

Suello's POV

It is now nightfall, the guards are all out looking for Cinderella. I have Xen's keychain on me and still have no clue why Cinderella's godmother gave it to me. I still don't understand why it is here. Does that mean that Xen is somewhere in this world? I don't know, but time's running out and Cinderella's still in danger.

The tracks below are from the same pumpkin carriage. I am getting close, really close.

I have Pumpkin of Demise ready and that pumpkin will be a pumpkin pie soon. Yeah, I know, I suck at making puns. There it is, I can see it now.

Cinderella's terrified and she's banging against the inside of the pumpkin, which looks like a Jack-O-Lantern. Don't worry, princess, I am coming!

Viento's POV

I was told I have been asleep for two days. The room I woke up in was quite lavish. The floor was white marble and covered with a fine, crimson rug. The windows were covered with long, sleek, platinum drapes. The princess bed I woke up in sat next to the window. I am currently sitting on my bed and looking out the window with the drapes pulled back.

The hedges in the garden outside are amazing. They look like all sorts of animals; a mouse, a cow, a horse, a duck, a dog and so many more. I have bandages wrapped around my chest and my eye, which still stings. If I see that girl again, I am gonna make her pay.

The oak door is opening and a servant that looks like a goose has a tray full of soup and tea on it. She places it on the oak nightstand next to my princess bed and leaves. A white duck with gray tufts of hair on the side, a doctor's coat, and large spectacles enters the room and passes the goose servant. "I am glad to see you're awake," the duck said.

My eyes widen in surprise. Sure, I was stunned when I saw the cat-girl, the dog-man, the goose-servant, but now a duck-doctor. All of them, at least the goose servant can talk. I feel nauseated and I am not sure how I am not passing out right now. Am I going insane?!

"Young sir, can I see your chest?" the duck-doctor asks.

I raise an eye brow and immediately back away from the feathered fiend. "No way, am I going to let some quack touch me!"

The duck doctor chuckles, "You sure are one veird fella and I vill have you know that my name is Ludwig von Drake. I am no quack for your information!"

"Whatever," I said as sat near the window still not willing to let this duck doctor-creep touch me.

Ludwig von Drake pulled out his stethoscope and wanted to see if my heart was alright. Well, that's what the quack said, but I still want him nowhere near him. It looks like he is leaving and he has the door slammed.

I can hear him speaking outside with somebody. He sounds ticked.

"Vell, he seems to be fine condition, your majesty. He sure put up a fight when I tried do my check-up on him."

"Well, if my boy, Maxey hadn't found him. He might have been you-know-what, ayup!"

"I am glad PJ, Bobby and I came upon him when we were coming back from fighting off those Heartless."

"No matter what Maxey, I'm proud of you."

"Dad, do you have to embarrass me?!"

"Sorry Maxey, I didn't mean to invade your bubble. I just have seen ya in six months."

"I know dad, but King Mickey really needed us. Speaking of which, do you know when he is coming back?"

"No clue, I thought you would know since you fought those Heartless in Hollow Bastion."

"Well, the king is very secretive. I think he is still looking for survivors."

"Vell, ve have to keep the boy safe. Vhatever is causing these atrocities, I'm sure it has to do with that scoundrel Pete."

I got tired of listening to this tedious conversation. Who were these freaks? Who was Pete? And, what was going on?!

I am still sore from that world's destruction and losing Snow White and the Sven Dwarves. I need to get some sleep and once I am all healed up, somebody is gonna pay!

Xia's POV

Dear Journal, I don't know how it happened. I feel like I keep saying that same line, but it can't be helped. I am still looking for my father. I need to ask him what is going on, but it seems like his trail gone cold. I'll keep searching for him, Viento and Suello. I hope Xen didn't kick the pail like that letter I found stated. I hope my dad hasn't become deranged. I really, really hope that he isn't thinking what I think he is thinking. Kingdom Hearts only knows that'll we'll get to be a family again.

I am sad if Xen is gone, but I can't lose my dad. He's the only one I have left. I can't lose him! So, I have to stop him at all costs.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

~Expect the Unexpected~

Suello's POV

I can't remember what happened. The pumpkin, I had just eradicated, but...man...man. Man, my head hurts!

I keep getting this feeling that something happened, something awful. Whatever it was, it hurts! The keychain I had attached to my keyblade, Pumpkin of Demise is gone along with Cinderella.

I stake my keyblade into the dirt and fall to my butt. What happened?! Why couldn't I save her? She was right in my sight and now she's gone! I slap the palm against my forehead and yelling repeatedly, "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID, SUELLO?! You could have saved her, but now you flunked that chance. Boy, Gus and the others are not gonna be pleased. STUPID!"

I can't face them, I just can't. I am not returning to the castle. I really don't want to see their distraught faces. I was supposed to save the princess and I somehow failed MISERABLE!

My keyblade is ready to go and so is the dark coat I am wearing. I am lucky that I kept it in the backpack. If I didn't have it, I couldn't summon dark corridors or be protected from them. I take one last glance at the white-blue castle amidst the forest. My voice is low as I take off, "I'm sorry guys!"

I am going into the corridor as I see multiple dark creatures surrounding me, especially this large one with a hole in the middle of it's muscular chest that looks like a heart. It is gigantic! And, it's hand is heading my way.

AH! I am out of here. I run into the corridor with my keyblade drawn. I don't look back as the eye-shaped portal closes. I fall to my butt and begin to sulk again, "Why am I such a coward?! Why do I always keep running?!" Cinderella got kidnapped and I just ran away while those things were headed to the castle. I AM A COWARD!

Viento's POV

I had another nightmare, the same one that I have been having since I was four. I am standing on a large clock-face. There is nothing, but pure gold everywhere. I feel somebody standing behind me and I turn, but it is too late. The clock platform has been shattered and the blade of that weapon of that figure stabs me.

It is a gruesome dream that I have had for a long time. This dream is the reason why I keep trying and trying, even when-

Flashback

I was only eight. Those idiots pushed me on the cement. The bug-eyed creeps chuckle and one of them, the leader, Calvin chuckles, "Hey crybaby, why aren't you fighting back?! Do you want your big brother to rescue your butt again, crybaby?!"

I am mad, no I am furious. Those creeps are gonna pay! I am tired of being pushed around by them. I am tired of my idiot brother, Ven always saving me. He always comes in when I don't need him. Ventus breaks up the fight, the boys snicker saying, "Oh does Baby Vivi need his big brother to save his a**?" and then I am stuck trying to beat up Ventus.

I want to shove my anger on him. He has cost me so much humiliation. I CAN'T STAND IT!

Then, we get home and it becomes even worst. My brother, Ven is a goody-tissues. He tells our father and our mother about what happened at school. Dad is frustrated with my defeat and berates me, "Oh Viento, oh Viento, why didn't you show those punks whose boss? Huh, huh?!"

Mom and my idiot brother are trying to coax him down, but I know their efforts are only temporary.

Dad, I mean, Uranus-dono will flip on me later tonight, then I'll have to deal with Calvin and his stupid gang tomorrow on the playground. My brother will save me again when I want to win my own fights. I hate this life! I hate being me!

Why was I born the youngest child of a keyblade master?! Life's not fair! But, I can't keep throwing my pity-parties; they've gotten me nowhere. They've gotten me nowhere, but bruised and beaten. I have to keep up this facade; I don't want that wimp feeling sorry for me. I used to tell him everything, but not anymore.

Tomorrow, I'll be at school before that loser comes to my aid. I'll pummel those bullies' faces in and leave them crying to their mothers. My brother will see that I am not a baby and stop treating me like a kid. I am tired of this ranting, it's time for me to get to bed.

End of Flashback

I can't keep staying here, sure I am hurt. But, who cares?! Those freaks won't get their hands on me.

I know they mean well, but I won't be a liability. I won't let those freaks or anyone else feel sorry for me. I may be weak, but I want to show my wimpy brother that I am not a crybaby, not anymore and never again!

The guards are surrounding my room and my coat is missing. I don't know how I am going to leave without that coat since it was destroyed when Grumpy's world was blown up. I found a trap door and I'm out!

Xia's POV

Olympus Coliseum

Where am I? I have my map out and it's lighting up. The map now has the place I am at and it looks like it is called Olympus Coliseum. Weird name, I have to admit, but beggars can't be choosers. I have to keep looking, but I have training to do. Philoctetes doesn't want me training, but I want to get stronger.

I need to hone my skills, so that I can protect Suello and Viento. Zack isn't that strong of an opponent as Xen or my father were, but he's somewhere close to Suello's level. I have to keep training and keep him distant even though he keeps saying, "Do you want to go on a date?"

I am not keen on dating since I already have somebody that I am interested in. But journal, I can't say who, because my friendship would dwindle to nothing. I don't want to see either Suello or Viento getting hurt.

End of Xia's POV


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19

~Close Call~

It's so, so cold. I cannot stand it. Why am I going underneath this castle? Shouldn't I have grabbed a coat and some heavier pants and snow boots while walking through this whatever it is. It feels so different from Disney Castle, so very different. The place looks like a tundra and there is nothing, but snow everywhere. I feel cold and I feel like I am gonna pass out again.

What am I thinking?! I cannot let them find me. I won't be a liability, I won't be a liability EVER AGAIN!

I feel shaky and I feel warm. Am I going to die? Oh, why did I leave that room? Why didn't I change out of these shorts and tennis shoes? I am not ready to die yet. Maybe, a quick nap might help. Night world, night Uranus, night Suello, night Xia, night Marina and night Brother Ven...

My head hits the ground and I feel warm.

Flashback

The day has finally arrived. Calvin's gonna pay! Calvin's gonna be the one made fun of this time, not me!

The teacher has dismissed out for playtime. Calvin and his friends are near the swings. There's no going back now. My palms are sweaty, my face feels red, I can't stop fidgeting and I have butterflies swarming around in my stomach.

"HEY BAKA!" I shout and Calvin turns his head at me.

His friends and everyone gathers around us. Calvin is too prideful to know that I called him a baka. Baka can mean two things. In Spanish, it is spelled baca, which means cow. And, in Japanese, it means fool.

Either way, you slice it, I am a dead man walking. I can't back down not now and not ever again!

I managed to dodge some of Calvin's pudgy fists. "What's wrong, Calvin? My grandma can hit better than you. I bet you can't even-"

I am now lying on the ground with a bloodied nose. Calvin is also lying on the ground with a bloodied nose. I look up to my dismay as I hear his voice, "HEY, LEAVE MY LITTLE BROTHER ALONE!"

Calvin's buddies help him up and curses Ventus as he and his gang leave. Ventus looks upset, no he looks furious. I can't stand to look at him. His arms are crossed and his eyebrows are furrowed. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED, VIENTO! Do you have any idea what that would do to us? Didn't ever you think about mom, dad and me?"

Ventus tries to help me up, but I pull my arm away. I may have lost this fight, but I haven't lost the battle. Calvin will pay one of these days. He'll be the fool, not me!

"Hey, aren't you even listening?!" I hear Ven's voice. He tries to get me to look at him, but I smack him away. Ventus looks hurt, but I don't care. I really don't care! Sure, dad and mom are going to have my hide on a silver platter once their little Venny tells them what happened at school today, but I DON'T CARE!

I am glad that I smacked him. The goody-tissues needs to see that the world isn't all puppies and kitties. Plus, I am glad that I got that extra tension out of my fist. The punch was meant for Calvin, but Ven will have to do. I am not sorry and I don't care what my consequence is. Somebody needed to pay.

Xia's POV

Phil had us battling today. We had to face some Heartless. It was easy until this huge eight-headed serpent-like dragon Heartless showed up. Phil and Hercules went inside as it destroyed most if not all of the coliseum. "Hey girly, aren't you coming?!" Phil screamed as a rock from the collapsing ceiling was about to collapse on him.

Hercules pushed him out of the way and Zack came to my side. "Hey Zack, grab Xia and let's get out of here! That monster is too strong!" Hercules screamed as he dragged a rambling, incoherent Phil to the gates to the city. I believe the city is called Athens.

"ZACK!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Heartless was killed. I don't know how I dodged it's gigantic snake-like body. I cut off all of it's heads, but they regrew. Thunder was one of the spells I had to use. It paralyzed him for a bit and I went up to one of it's heads. I cast a Confuse on it and the Heartless pretty much finished itself off.

Zack is hurt really bad. Not only did the hydra manage to knock him out with it's tail, but it also hurled eight, combined flamethrowers at him. I don't know what he was thinking just by rushing in there. Maybe, he's braze, maybe, he's crazy or maybe, he's both. I don't know, but he keeps mumbling the word, "Hero" over and over again.

Hades showed up and somehow he bypassed me. He hurled a Firaga at Zack. Zack may have had a chance at recovery, but now those chances are slim. Zack's body is all charred up, I can't look.

I am so angry that I want to slice off the God of Death's head. Hades, if Zack dies, I'll find some way to make you pay! My hilt is clenched so tightly to my palms that they are bleeding. My heart is racing and I just want to hurt the fire-haired weirdo in the black toga.

Somehow, I go right through him and he disappears before mocking me into a pile of smoke. I feel so angry, but I can't let myself feel like that now. Zack needs help.

Cure seems to be having no effect and he just seems to be getting worst. Hercules and Phil come, both of them look scared and shocked. I cannot blame them, especially since they tried to get us to escape. But, I was too stupid, too blind to forget my grudge against these beasts.

I guess what my father said was true, "Revenge is never the answer!" I sigh and look towards Phil and Herc. "Is he going to be okay?"

Hercules just shrugs, "I don't know. Maybe, Asclepius can help. After all, he's the god of medicine."

Phil doesn't look convinced. He sheds a tear, which surprises Herc and me both. He never seemed to be the sensitive type and I never thought that an old Billy goat like Phil had a heart. I guess one of my dad's other sayings is correct, "You can't judge a book by it's cover!"

"Asclepius cannot help the kid, Herc; he's dead!"

"What?!" Hercules and I both gasp. We try to get him to further explain, but he just flicks us off. He's probably right and that's why Zack is at the hospital, well the Ancient Greek version of a hospital. I really, really hope that Zack's alright.

I feel responsible, even though Hercules is the only one trying to convince me otherwise. Phil doesn't even want to look at me and whatever I say; it doesn't help. I hate situations like this. I can only pray to Asclepius that he and his daughters will save Zack. I don't want him to die!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20

~The Strange Boy~

Place: Traverse Town  
Time: Ten or Nine Years into the Future

Iz's POV

I crumbled the letter and placed it back into the envelope. As, I was doing so; a picture fell out. It was of me at just three with Eli, who was merely two. In the picture, there were two teens holding us up. Both of them had goofy expressions on their faces. One red-orange, spiky hair and dressed in an orange, sleeveless t-shirt and light blue jeans and the other had light blue spiky hair and wore a navy blue jacket and beige khakis. I flipped the picture over and it read in crudely written, bold letters, "Isa and Lea with Isadore and Eli at Radiant Amusement Park."

I glanced at the picture and placed it back into the envelope. Those two boys seemed so familiar along with the place. Of course, I didn't know who was Isa and who was Lea or even who they were. Something told me I had a deep connection with Isa, because we seem to look very similar. However, that's aside the point. What really clicked for me was the name of the place. 'Radiant Gardens', I mumbled to myself, but just as I did so a loud shriek emanated from the second district.

Of course, I live near the gates towards the second district with Nancy and Eli. "SOMEBODY HELP!"

I recognized that scream as belonging to Eli's. I looked at the digital, black clock that read in red letters, "12:35 am."

I sighed as I went to my closet, looking for something. Anything that could be used towards what I had to encounter. There was nothing, but Eli was in trouble yet again.

I sighed and ran outside. Hopefully, there would be something there that I could use. Something, anything would be good enough.

"HEHEHEHE!" I heard an ominous laugh and looked up.

A strange boy, no a strange Heartless of some sat on the roof of the Second District Gates. He had blondish-white hair and light ebony skin on one half of his face and the other half had a large, bulging, bug-like yellow eye. "IZ, GET OUT HERE!" Eli, my dumb, orange-headed friend said as he was wrapped tightly in what looked like a black, squid's tentacle.

My twelve-year-old friend struggled, but sharp currents jutted from the tentacle to my friend. Eli groaned and moaned as the boy looked at me. His mismatched, yellow eyes met with my sea-green. "WHO ARE YOU, HEARTLESS? AND, DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON MY FRIEND."

The boy snickered as he glanced towards Eli. His forked tongue licked both sides of his normal and deformed face. He glanced back at me and laughed, "Why am I surprise that you know what I am? But, I don't have a score to settle with you now, keyblader!"

The Heartless boy cackled and threw my unconscious friend, Eli at me. He then left like all other Heartless do in a portal of darkness.

"Who was that?" I asked myself as I was now lying on my butt with a 95 Lb. Eli on top of me. "And, why did he remind me of him?"

Perhaps, I'll never know, but all I can do now is get this goof back to the cottage. I don't want Nancy yelling at us AGAIN!

End of Iz's POV


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21

~The Strange Boy & Viento's Flee~

~The Strange Boy~

Place: Traverse Town  
Time: Ten or Nine Years into the Future

Iz's POV

I crumbled the letter and placed it back into the envelope. As, I was doing so; a picture fell out. It was of me at just three with Eli, who was merely two. In the picture, there were two teens holding us up. Both of them had goofy expressions on their faces. One red-orange, spiky hair and dressed in an orange, sleeveless t-shirt and light blue jeans and the other had light blue spiky hair and wore a navy blue jacket and beige khakis. I flipped the picture over and it read in crudely written, bold letters, "Isa and Lea with Isadore and Eli at Radiant Amusement Park."

I glanced at the picture and placed it back into the envelope. Those two boys seemed so familiar along with the place. Of course, I didn't know who was Isa and who was Lea or even who they were. Something told me I had a deep connection with Isa, because we seem to look very similar. However, that's aside the point. What really clicked for me was the name of the place. 'Radiant Gardens', I mumbled to myself, but just as I did so a loud shriek emanated from the second district.

Of course, I live near the gates towards the second district with Nancy and Eli. "SOMEBODY HELP!"

I recognized that scream as belonging to Eli's. I looked at the digital, black clock that read in red letters, "12:35 am."

I sighed as I went to my closet, looking for something. Anything that could be used towards what I had to encounter. There was nothing, but Eli was in trouble yet again.

I sighed and ran outside. Hopefully, there would be something there that I could use. Something, anything would be good enough.

"HEHEHEHE!" I heard an ominous laugh and looked up.

A strange boy, no a strange Heartless of some sat on the roof of the Second District Gates. He had blondish-white hair and light ebony skin on one half of his face and the other half had a large, bulging, bug-like yellow eye. "IZ, GET OUT HERE!" Eli, my dumb, orange-headed friend said as he was wrapped tightly in what looked like a black, squid's tentacle.

My twelve-year-old friend struggled, but sharp currents jutted from the tentacle to my friend. Eli groaned and moaned as the boy looked at me. His mismatched, yellow eyes met with my sea-green. "WHO ARE YOU, HEARTLESS? AND, DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON MY FRIEND."

The boy snickered as he glanced towards Eli. His forked tongue licked both sides of his normal and deformed face. He glanced back at me and laughed, "Why am I surprise that you know what I am? But, I don't have a score to settle with you now, keyblader!"

The Heartless boy cackled and threw my unconscious friend, Eli at me. He then left like all other Heartless do in a portal of darkness.

"Who was that?" I asked myself as I was now lying on my butt with a 95 Lb. Eli on top of me. "And, why did he remind me of him?"

Perhaps, I'll never know, but all I can do now is get this goof back to the cottage. I don't want Nancy yelling at us AGAIN!

End of Iz's POV

Present

"Everything falls into place and everything falls apart. Your friendship is nothing more."

The figure in the black coat had his back turned to the blonde. Viento reached a hand out to the figure, but he just disappeared.

"Hey Vi, Hey Vi, are you okay? Hello? Say something?"

Viento heard a voice and opened his eyes. The light in the room took some getting used to. His blurry vision began to focus and he nearly jumped back once he saw who were staring at him. "Ack!" He felt himself nearly jump out of his bed, the same princess bed that he was in before.

"You sure scared us, Vi," a voice got his attention and he looked down from the Tiffany chandelier that he was clinging to.

"Hey, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE FREAKS?!" Viento glanced at the person, he was speaking with. He still couldn't believe it. After nearly four months on the road (so to speak), he was still alive.

"Vy don't you get down from there before the king makes me fix that EXPENSIVE chandelier again." Ludwig von Drake glanced towards a certain dog, Max Goof, son of the leader of King Mickey's knights. The dog knight simply tugged his collar of his red shirt slightly. Apparently, he was nervous.

Viento let go of the chandelier and fell face forward into the white, marble floor. "Ow," the blonde said as he rubbed his now sore head. He glanced to the said person, who was just snickering with the rest of them.

"Hey, don't laugh!" Viento stared daggers, apparently over his dozy drop from the light fixture.

"Why not, you make it to easy," the African keyblade wielder chuckled.

Viento rolled his eyes at his goofy friend. "Anyways, why didn't you send me a message that you were coming, idiot?"

Suello just nudged the blonde in the shoulder, "Because, stupid, I had no way of contacting you. Why did you run off like-"

Viento interrupted the keyblade wielder's question, "How did you get here?!"

Suello shrugged and glanced back to Max. Max answered, "That's a simple question. We just scoured the universe with the Gummi Ship that the king leant us. And we just sort of bumped into him as we were sent to go pick up our king."

Viento sighed and sat on his bed. He turned away from them, "I still don't trust you!"

"Hey, that's not fair, Vi!" Suello yelled. "I mean, these guys saved you from hypothermia. The least you could do is say thanks. After all, I wasn't the idiot that decided to run off and have his friends come all this way for nothing just to save his sorry-"

Viento now stood to his full height. He held tightly onto Suello's jacket. "Who said I wanted your lazy butt to find me?!"

Everybody else had run out of the room due to Suello's command to give them a moment to speak with his injured friend, well except Ludwig. Ludwig just left to get the guards, who were on their way.

"I FELT GUILTY, OKAY! I wanted to apologize to you for attacking you. Now, can you please let go?" Suello admitted and then demanded.

"FINE," Viento answered and threw his friend against the wall. A picture frame fell off and the glass shattered.

Viento stomped back to his bed while Suello went out. Before he slammed the door shut, he bellowed, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST OPEN UP TO US FOR ONCE? Do you know how scared Xia and I worried about you. Boy, can't you think of anybody other than yourself for once, Vi!"

Viento's POV

I can't believe that baka, Suello. Why did he come out all this way for? Did those freaks put him up to it? It's not like it matters, I just wanted to get away from him. But, he's like a barking puppy; he never shuts up.

I am sad that I left, but you know what. I needed my time away that place, especially since my father died in front of me. I still have no clues about his murderer, but I'm not giving up!

Suello, he's a fool and so is Xia. Sure, I like them, but can't they just give me my space? Why is everybody always trying to smother me? I don't need their pity. I don't need anyone's pity!

All it has ever done is get in the way. I don't need people feeling sorry for me, because of the-I've seen. I don't need anybody's sympathy! I can find my dad's murder without them and without Ventus.

Speaking of Ventus, journal, I haven't heard from him. Maybe, he was out there looking for me like Suello was, but journal, I don't care! I don't want to see him now, especially since he was there for our father, our mother or anybody else at the mansion. Call me a crybaby if you want! I don't want anybody trying to baby me!

That's why I pushed Suello and Xia away. I didn't want them feeling sorry for me. I never wanted anybody feeling sorry me, but I've always attracted that attention. It's caused me nothing, but anguish and heartache.

It's not that I hate them. I just don't get people, if that is what makes me selfish than...I DON'T CARE!

Suello's POV

I can't believe Vi's reaction. You're probably wondering why I didn't leave him, journal, but I can't! I can't leave his side; he's my friend and I have faith in him. Plus, there is another reason why I am here.

Max and the others were called back to apprehend Vi, but I just told them he needed his space. Sure, we got into a huge argument about it, but they eventually listened to me. Journal, it's possibly due to all the groveling and pleading I did. I'm SO embarrassed!

They agreed, but only on the condition that I'd help defend the castle. Apparently, there is this rival of the king named Mortimer Mouse. I know, it's a lousy name, especially when I first heard it. I busted a gut!

I digress, Mortimer is just trying to usurp the king and take Queen Minnie's hand in marriage. I know, the total rich villain stereotype. Boy, can villains like Mortimer be anymore clichéd.

I have to go journal, duty calls. And, I'm hoping that Vi joins in on the fight.

We could use it!

Xia's POV

Please, Asclepius, please Zeus, don't let Hades get Zack! I know you have better things to do, but I need somebody to help me through this time. Phil is still mad at me. I've tried saying I'm sorry over and over again. But, he won't have it.

Hercules is just distraught as I am. I mean, sure he and Zack were rivals, but they were also friends. Hercules's friends came to visit. I think their names are; Icarus and Cassandra. They seem to be so weird, especially Icarus. How can a womanizer be such a womanizer at a time like this?

Diary, maybe I am taking things too hard. Maybe, Phil will eventually come around, but I can only hope that Zack gets better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diary, we've finally received the news. Zack is dead!

I don't know what to do. The funeral pyre is getting set up. I'm still upset, but Phil seems to be coming around. He told me today, "That a pretty girl such as yourself doesn't need to frown."

Maybe, he's right, maybe Zack is in the Elysian Fields by now. He was a good guy and a hero. So, Zeus won't send him to live in Tartarus. That's just unthinkable!

I am still praying so hard. Things aren't the same without Zack around. But, like my father said, "For every beginning, there is an end. And, for every ending, there is a beginning."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22  
~Change~

Xia's POV

Everybody has a moment that they feel completely in the dumps. Everybody has moments when they feel like they are the only one in the world. It's not true, but you can't help feeling that way. You can't help that everyone around you feels like an alien.

I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't help it!

Zack is gone and Hades kicked my butt. I still haven't heard any word from my father or even Viento or Suello. I hate feeling alone!

I am trying my best to be the strong one. Mother would have wanted it that way. But, I can't stop looking up at the stars. I just wish I can feel normal again, instead of like this!

I miss my friends, I miss my family and I miss everybody! Why do things have to change?! Why can't things stay the same?!

Maybe, I shouldn't be wishing that upon the stars tonight. I feel like having a pity-party, because there's nothing else better to do. I'd probably feel the same way if I was around my friends.

Anyways, diary, I know you know why I am feeling like this. It's been ten days since Zack's funeral. I'm still upset! And, I am trying my absolute hardest to get over it. Right now, I am lying low in this dump.

This dump or the Brilliant Slums as I have heard it called lies on the outskirts of a town known as Radiant Gardens. The sight of the castle from this literal home of garbage is impressive. I've made a few acquaintances since being here. Their names are Bandit and Rascal.

Rascal looks like a cowboy from one of those Old Westerns my father and Xen loved to watch. I still don't get the appeal.

Rascal has a thick blonde mustache and he carries a long pistol beside him. He calls it is his sword, maybe due to the musket that points at the edge of it. He also wears a long, thick brown jacket and cowboy boots. He is just your all-around cowboy stereotype.

Aside from his appearance, his attitude isn't much different. He is all bark and no bite, well most times. He is always defensive when it comes to his 'pet', Bandit.

According to Rascal, Bandit was his younger brother. Bandit always got on Rascal's nerves, especially since they were both orphans. Rascal and Bandit both came to Radiant Gardens after they were offered work by King Ansem the Wise. What type of work were they offered? I haven't a clue, Rascal doesn't like to give much details about his childhood. I can see why.

But, why is he in Brilliant Slums, well that's kinda difficult to answer as well.

I guess the answer is, because Bandit was tricked into being one of the experiments. Rascal still doesn't like calling his brother, his 'pet', even though his brother can no longer speak. His brother is nothing more than a puny Shadow Heartless. Rascal somehow keeps his brother's dangerous nature at bay. Maybe, it is due to that unspeakable bond they have.

Well, the answer to why they are at Brilliant Slums is, because of the apprentices. After Bandit's transformation, they threw the two brothers out into the dumps. Rascal is still trying to sneak into the castle trying to get his brother back to normal. They also stated that their real names aren't even Rascal and Bandit.

Journal, let's keep this between you and me. They're real names are, well Bandit's first. Bandit's original name was Medy and Rascal's real name is Ruldo. Funny names I suppose, but I can understand why they are trying to keep their identities secret. Journal, I know you'll never mention this. After all, you're my best friend!

Viento's POV

I've been through the fire since being at the castle. I'm used to the anthropomorphic animals that run about this joint. Suello is here with me now. Boy, why does he have to act like such a mother hen to me? Perhaps, it's due to my rebelliousness. Oh well!

Ludwig is still annoying, but I can manage.

Suello is looking after me since I took down that Heartless. Mortimer Mouse managed to get his butt kicked, but at a huge expense. A certain captain's son isn't with us no more due to that Mortimer. I don't want to get into the graphics, but Max died a hero.

I'm still wondering what Xia is up to. Nighttime is still here and Suello are now sharing a room. Well, a bunk bed and a room. I guess after my little stunt nobody at the castle trusts me, so they put the idiot in charge of me.

Suello means well, but I am gonna have to buy us time till we can leave. I wonder if we'll ever get to see Xia again. She's-I'm worried about her.

"Sven, what is the meaning of this?!" Maleficent bellowed from the chapel.

She stumbled hastily as she approached the rainbow-colored keyhole. "Why didn't you get that girl?"

Sven rolled his eyes and turned his back. "Because, I have somebody I want to protect that's why," the middle-aged keyblade wielder replied as he walked off. "Besides, shouldn't you be leaving the dirty work to Pistol or your goons? I am sure the Heartless sure could use a good meal. You better be careful that they don't turn on you."

Maleficent growled and slammed her scepter on the chapel floor. She already had three of the Princesses of Hearts, but not this one. Why didn't Sven abduct the blain blonde known as Alice? Perhaps, he didn't like being treated like one of her servants. Perhaps, he didn't like her. Or, perhaps he had some agenda up his sleeve.

Whatever the reason, Maleficent couldn't bother. She had to gather the seven princesses, if she wanted to rule the worlds. The evil fairy glared at one of the pods that held a sleeping blonde. It was the princess known as Aurora. Aurora had caused the horned witch so much misery and the princess's pathetic boyfriend nearly killed her. Maleficent just frowned at the sleeping princess and shouted, "PETE!"

The buffoon ran up to her from the entrance. "Yes, what is it, Maleficent-dono?" the dimwitted cat asked.

"I want you to retrieve the princess that Sven failed to capture," Maleficent barked and she slammed her scepter into the floor. Small dark shadows arose and crowded around Pete. "And, I expect you not to fail me. If you do-"

The Heartless lunged towards the terrified cat, but Maleficent slammed her scepter again. It stopped the terrifying creatures. Maleficent turned to Pete and the shadows went back to their two dimensional form and slithered away. Pete flinched as the witch pushed out her hand and called out a portal.

Pete gulped before he reluctantly took his step inside; fearing the malicious fairy's actions.

Pete's POV

I can't believe that little princess of mine would dare humiliate me like that. Oh, why did I bring her along to that show? Maleficent looked horrified and about ready to electrocute me again! Why do I let my lil' princes get away with so much, especially showin' those tapes?!

Pistol's POV

I was only thirteen at the time and King Mickey was having a show at his famous club; the House of Mouse. Nobody was there that night, well except the king, the queen, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Boris Horse Collar, Goofy, Max, PJ, my dad and me. It was Pete's Night and as you can imagine nobody was there, well nobody in their right mind anyways. PJ and I were only there, because of messing up daddy's car business.

PJ was lucky enough to stand outside with his best friend, Max parking anybody that dared showed up to the show's car. It wasn't a cold night, but boy they were lucky!

Dad made a complete buffoon of himself right on stage. Nobody was there, except cardboard cut-outs of the audience. My dad, Pete dressed up in a frilly, pink tutu with matching slippers and a bow for the show. It was awful! I still have that 'Da Boom Da' song stuck in my head.

Why, it is worst than my dad coming to the Halloween party dressed up as the 'Invisible Man', well only to him. He only wore his underwear and nobody, I mean nobody should ever have to see that! Dad also dressed up like Snow White and nearly took over the House of Mouse. But, he was outsmarted by the king's pooch, Pluto.

But, that's all I am going to mention. I only used to that tape, so I can get back at my dad for missing my recent violin recital after he got banished for pretending to be a stupid superhero to win some silly contest. Dad is still paying for missing my important moments for his ridiculous stunts, especially since mom's not around anymore.

I only decided to go with my dad, because I couldn't stand being with my goody-tissues brother, PJ back at Disney Castle. Plus, somebody needs to keep my dad in line. I need to keep him focus on getting Princess Alice.

~Your Choice~

I feel like everything is coming together, slowly, but surely. I feel like my life is coming to it's conclusion. And, I'm scared!

I really don't want to go! I don't want to go just yet! There are some people I want to be around. I wish I could see if they would miss me?

Viento threw the paper under his bed and walked away. He took one last look at his sleeping friend. "Suello, I'm sorry! But, I can't stay-"  
With that, the brunette disappeared.

Suello's POV

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT JERK! WHAT IS HE THINKING?! DON'T TELL ME, VI IS GONNA DO THAT! I DON'T WANNA LOSE HIM!

Viento's POV

The bright sunshine shined upon the desolate colorful town. Two boys huddled in a corner. I pitied the two boys, especially for how young they were. They were only three and four-years-old. Where were their parents? Where was everybody?

The small boy, the blue-haired one stared in awe at Begetter. He cooed as he struggled with the orange-haired tot over getting to my blade. Of course, I was scared!

I was afraid that they'll cut themselves, but the blue-haired tot poked his chubby fingers on Begetter. "Key-bwade!" the little boy mouthed.

I don't know how he knew that name, but I knew that this child. This small, innocent kid had something...very special about him. "Maybe, he would become a Keyblade Master. Maybe, he'll set the worlds back in line."

I shook the thought aside. No, that's crazy! He's just a little kid. How can a little pipsqueak defeat these monsters?

I don't know, but I had to get these brats out of here. The same monsters are coming this way. They don't look friendly-they look hungry! And, I don't plan for me or these brats being their meal!

Xia's POV  
The days are long and a lot has changed in these last two days. Ruldo or 'Rascal' went out with his brother, Medy or 'Bandit'. I'm still having trouble calling them by their 'correct' names. But, journal, I also have to let you know that I met some kids. Right now, we're all huddled up in a small shack in Brilliant Slums.

I guess I'll start from the youngest to the eldest. The youngest is Yuffie, she pretty much is the spy for our group; nothing gets past her. The second is Aerith, she's pretty much the wise one of the group. The third is Tifa, she's basically the muscle. Leon or Squall or whatever you want to call him is the unofficial leader. And, the last one isn't a kid at all.

He's an adolescent that makes up the brains. Cid and his small gang are weary about the Heartless roaming about, especially since their friends went missing while trying to stake out the castle. Cid's been working hastily on some type of airship called the Highwinder's Space Cadet, which sort of acts like a rocket ship.

Anyways, Cid plans on taking the kids and leaving to somewhere out there as their world continue to get worst.

Oh journal, how could I forget! Man, why am I so dumb?!

There is one-or two people I forgot to mention. The kid's name is Cloud Strife. He hangs around Brilliant Dumps a lot, but he doesn't ever talk to Cid or the other kids that had to take refuge here. The Heartless started out as a minimal threat that was only confined to the dungeons of the castle. King Ansem assured his people that he would deal with what he dubbed the Heartless and soon after that; he was never heard from again. His apprentices, especially an apprentice named Xehanort took over. Xehanort was the main cause of seizing the Heartless on the citizens. It sounds like a horrifying story and Leon was the one that told me the story.

Well, I allowed myself to get side-tracked. The second person that I forgot to mention-well he has to deal with Cloud. According to Aerith, Cloud resides in Brilliant Slums, because he is a fugitive. The apprentices prior to their disappearances had taken Cloud away from his parents and used him as a test subject for the Heartless. Somehow, he escaped, but so did his clone. His clone, which was supposed to be some stronger version of the Heartless named Sephiroth also escaped.

Cloud is still weary and doesn't allow himself to get to close to Leon or the others, because Sephiroth might be there.

Journal, I have to go. Leon has ordered me to go into the forsaken city, because Yuffie wandered in there.

Suello's POV

I am tired of feeling so worthless. Maybe, I don't know what to do next. I guess, I should go after Vi. It seems like the heroic thing to do, but he always acts like he never wants to be found. I can't blame him!

I've only caused Xia and Vi, nothing, but pain. I fought with my muscles rather than my brain ever since I started on this quest. Did I do anything worthwhile?

It's so hard to answer, but I keep pushing forward. Even if it costs me pain and I have absolutely nothing to gain. I rely mostly on my feelings and I guess that's what has-I don't know.

Anyways, I have to go and save Vi. Even if he doesn't want my help, I'll always bring him back! After all, we're friends, aren't we?

Xia's POV

I found Yuffie and boy did she get herself in a tight spot. There is apparently these Heartless surrounding her. A few of them look like magicians and when I try going at them; they just evade my grasp and light their hands up as they touch their huge books. I try going after the other Heartless that seem to have spikes protruding from all over their plump, round bodies. It's difficult getting at them, but if I can only distract them, so that Yuffie can get away. It'll work!

My plan has worked sort of. I am on my last leg and the spinning Heartless just keep coming. I keep going at the magicians, but they always evade me and the tops just swoop down and send blasts of fire everywhere. I am exhausted and have nearly used up all of my Elixirs and Potions. What am I going to do?!

Viento's POV

I managed to get the small boys to some sort of shelter, well if you can call it that. The place is a complete dump, literally. I have some people to watch the kids, well don't know if I can trust them or not. They look trustworthy, but in this life, only the strong can afford to trust.

I don't know what I am going to do, because these people seem worried about somebody. A somebody named Yuffie. They say she is in the town, but I don't know if I can trust them to look after the small boys. The small tots I learned their names-they are Iz and Eli.

They are scared, but I can't blame them!

After seeing their home crumbling apart and possibly seeing their loved ones-

Journal, I just have to go. There's no time to think, because I learned from one of the strangers-that Xia is in town. How I know this is because the kid that they were looking for came back. She had minor injuries, but-journal I just have to go.

11 years later  
Traverse Town

Iz's POV

"Darkness resides in every heart, perfection is only a lie.  
Darkness begets light and so is true, reversed.

Light and darkness, they are eternal siblings.  
Light and darkness, they cannot be destroyed.  
Light and darkness, they can only be controlled.

Yet, fret not, young one, the light will always guide you home.

Keep your heart pure and clean, so that your conscience never goes mean."

Those lights, those lines were quoted by my grandmother. She was a kind, old lady that lived very far away. I don't recall much about her, only that she watched over me and Eli when everybody else were too busy.

Grandmother made the most scrumptious peanut butter cookies, which I still remember tasting. Her hair was turquoise and even though, she had a wrinkled-up face; it still somehow shined with beauty. I love my grandmother, but the reason why I am mentioning her is that today, she went missing.

I don't know how it happened, but she just disappeared. I've searched all over the place for her; the first district, the second district and now the third district. What other places are left, other than the fourth district?

Yeah, I've lived here for the majority of my childhood. So, I should know this place by the back of my own hand, but Traverse Town is a BIG town. Sure, you may not know that from looking at it, but it is!

Eli and the other kids have always found some way of scaring the heck out of me through the numerous alleyways and empty buildings scattered all over the place. Leon and the others, while they were here; they did a pretty banged up job of keeping the Heartless at bay. But, now, ever since that boy showed up. Things-things have gotten much, much worst!

All of us, well of us capable of wielding weapons and defending ourselves have decided to take up Heartless Patrol. It's my turn, I guess. The only thing I have on me is a wooden bat. Oh great, what use will that do for me!

I am exploring the sewers and by George, it's horrid down here!

Grandmother must be somewhere close by, I can feel it.

Of course, let me first start off by saying that Grandmother isn't my actual, biological relative. No, she's actually a single old lady that lost her husband during the Heartless Invasion, well the event that landed us all here in Traverse Town.

She is actually Nancy's older half-sister as well, but that's another, long story.

Anyways, I am down in the sewers underneath all of Traverse Town. It stinks! Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. Well, gee, it's a sewer, Iz, of course, it's gonna stink!

I am doing in the sewer, because I saw the Heartless coming down here in hordes. I have no idea what that means, but it can't be good.

Perhaps, they are gonna eat some helpless individual that taken down together.

Why does my guesses always have to be right?!

I found Grandmother, but she's not the only here. Apparently, some annoying pipsqueak from our streets, Trader got captured as well.

So, now I have to put up with a headache. Trader is just gonna keep yelling at me and screaming. He's totally going to ruin the whole plan and I don't have a sufficient weapon to use against the Heartless.

Trader, what the heck were you thinking? Couldn't I just for the love of Kingdom Hearts just save Grandmother? Oh why, oh why, does that annoying Chihuahua, Trader always keep poking his muzzle where it's not needed!

~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Three mysterious blades disappear, where they go nobody knows. The three blades were keepers of peace, yet their disappear shall never be resolved."

"The first blade was a mighty scythe. The wielder of it had a heart of pure gold. Everywhere it went, destruction followed. The blade disappeared within the lush savannah, never to be found again."

"The second blade was a beauty amongst the three. It was quite sharp and could harm no one. It was the kindness of it's brethren, but the longsword was thrown into the ocean never to be found again."

"The third and final blade was separate of two. It acted as a dagger and a gun. The gun knife was weaker than the three. It appeared and disappeared and helped it's wielder, but the thing was destined to disappear like the duo prior."

I kept singing this song, I don't know how I thought of it. It just sort of came to me. I have no words for it, but it's the only thing I have to occupy my time as I search. The old shack that sits here was really unexpected to find.

I find several papers with one of an oil portrait. In the portrait, there is a young girl with feline features laying on a bed. The portrait looks so realistic that I almost believed that whoever she was; was here with me. It wasn't until I noticed the oak frame that it dawned on me of what it was.

The portrait was scattered on the concrete floor of the 'house' with the other papers. It was well-kempt unlike the papers. The papers were torn and ripped.

I placed the portrait aside on a bed. The papers were a poem, which I couldn't decipher. But, it had a name written on the top that I could read, "For Pistol."

I looked at the portrait on the bed and it had the same name on the poem engraved on the oak. I can't believe I nearly missed it, but I guess I am lucky that I did.

The portrait and the poem must have been made by the same person that dedicated them to this, Pistol. I was about to leave when I tripped over the bed with my hand knocking the portrait off the bed and onto the concrete floor. The portrait broke into several splitters of wood and fragments of glass. The oil painting was still in decent shape due to my clumsiness.

However, I did notice something. Something that resembled a dagger. Curiosity proved overwhelming as I picked up the weapon and upon touching it, it changed...the weapon it changed into I could vaguely recall. "Key...bwade!" I muttered with wide eyes.

The same wide eyes when he came. I heard a loud bang coming from outside the 'house', taking the strange weapon with me. It was definitely the Heartless as I expected. They were about to attack Grandmother and Trader, but for some reason I was right between them.

I thought I was going to die, but the monsters-they just turned into vapors of black smoke. Grandmother and Trader were now free from their bondage, in this case, a deep hole, which Trader had pushed them into. Grandmother chastised the tween, humanoid Chihuahua. He tried whimpered his way out of it, but Grandmother wouldn't have it.

She pinched his pointy ears all the way until we arrived safely back in the first district. Grandmother and Nancy embraced and the two elderly ladies exchanged words of compassion. Things like, "I'm so glad, you're safe, sister!"

Trader wasn't lucky on the other hand. He received a cruel chastisement from his parents, Barbie the Chihuahua and Pan the Bulldog. He apologized a lot and tried whimpering his way out, but his parents wouldn't tolerate it.

Strange Boy's POV

I can't believe it! Who destroyed my house?! Who took Begetter?!

I stroll over to Pistol's destroyed portrait and release a mighty roar. "WHO DID THIS, MY DEAR?!"

The portrait doesn't answer, but I want to make them pay. Pistol, my love, they'll pay dearly, I swear! By Kingdom Hearts, I will get Begetter back!

Even if I cannot use it, I'll still get it back!

Oh curse, this hideous body of mine. Why is the human part of me compensated by the Heartless side of me?! Pistol, my dear, I'll make them pay!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23

~Devourer~

Time: Present or 11 years ago  
Place: Radiant Gardens/Hollow Bastion

Xia's POV

Yuffie got away and I'm happy about it. However, I have a new problem.

I am running low on energy and I don't have enough time to use my potions, because the stupid Heartless never give me a moment's peace. I keep getting barraged by all of them at once. Diary, I don't know I am going to get away from them.

I've tried everything I can think of. I've tried my Limit Block, I've tried all of my summons, but my last one, Kimba the White Lion, well they knocked him out.

The Heartless seem to be brainless imbeciles that usually cannot tell friend from foe. I've seen multiple Heartless eat their own kind, but diary, I DON'T HAVE TIME!

I feel like I am about go down, but at least I am fighting. I just cast a Phoenix Dawn, hopefully that will come in handy or NOT!

UGH! Diary, I'm on my last leg now. All of these Heartless have me cornered and I just can't seem to move. I'm scared and am I gonna die?

Wait, I hear somebody fighting off the Heartless. I close my eyes, but I do see a flicker of brown before I...Viento!

Viento's POV

I am glad that I made it when I did. Xia's in critical shape and if I made a moment's later; she could have been-

I don't want to think about what ifs. They get you nowhere in life, except on a one-way train to pity town.

I'm tired of being sad, but I cannot let my emotions take control right now. I have to be calm and rational, especially since-

What?! How did this happen?! How is Xia standing on her own again? She looks all bruised up, but at least she's standing again. I'm so happy that it is making me get something in my eyes! However, these monsters are not holding back.

Xia looks shocked to see me, but we don't have enough time for a reunion. These monsters, which I learnt from Xia are called Heartless. They are basically from what I understand the living embodiment of people's darkness. I guess, that makes sense, but still I have no time for questions and answers. This is a battle of life and death; I won't die now!

Suello's POV

Journal, PJ, Chip, Dale and I have just arrived in some dump. According to the two rodents or whatever, this place is known as Radiant Gardens. Well, I can't see what is so 'radiant' about this place. It's nothing, but a junkyard.

We just landed in the dump near some sort of 'shelter', I guess. There's some people I see, mostly kids.

They perplexed, but I cannot blame them. They are probably feeling the same way I was when first seeing a Gummi Ship. I know, journal, it's a lousy name, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Also, Journal, Goofy didn't come with us. I guess, he's still trippin' over losing his son. Well, I can't blame him for that. We're about to get out of the Gummi Ship (I still cannot get used to that name) and I'll tell ya what I find.

Suello's POV

The heat of the battle; it just keeps your adrenaline going. I feel so pumped, even though I am getting weaker with each attack from what I learned are called Heartless. Xia and Vi have my back, well sorta. It's kinda difficult to explain.

We do team up constantly to take down those spiked Heartless that spin around a lot; it was better than just going blindly at them.

Xia has managed to wipe out most of them while Vi has his HP nearly cut in half.

Oh boy!

Is that Ram Heartless gonna ram into Vi?

Oh joy, that's a relief! Xia just wiped it out with a Thundaga!

Wait, journal, since when did Xia learn to do magic?

Oh, there's no time to think. I gotta finish these guys off quickly. Maybe, Xia will give me a peck on the cheek or...

She might just punch me to the ground for being a pervert.

I'm not gonna risk that again!

Xia's POV

We just finished up those Heartless, well Viento did anyways. He did some sort of attack that I've only seen my father do.

Viento is now unconscious and the Heartless are coming! We gotta run!

So, Suello and Xia pick up the dark blonde and rush back to Brilliant Dumps. At least, we can buy some time there.

Diary, is Viento going to be okay? He nearly killed us with those blasts of silver rays. Of course, he destroyed most of the attacking Heartless, but it left him in pretty bad shape.

Pistol's POV

I see those guys running. Boy, that guy that I spared, he looks really hurt! I guess, I should follow them. At least, once they're all healed up, I can send these icky Heartless on them.

Maybe, I can even get him to myself after finishing off that dopey girlfriend of his and that uncute boyfriend of his. Nothing is gonna stop me from getting to my love, nothing!

Place: Brilliant Dump

Xia's POV

We are now back at the shack. The kids are all gathered around us as Viento is crouched on a couple of bean-bag chairs; which act like a bed.

His chest is slowly going up and down; his breathing is shallow. There aren't any good signs, but I know he's going to pull through.

Aerith has her hand against his forehead; it's burning. She ordered Tifa and Leon to get ice from somewhere in the slums. Where? I have no clue.

I am glad we're away from that town and that we're all together again. Suello is right next to me and we hug. He gives me a peck on the cheek after I allow him too. He just like me are too overwhelmed to fight. What adventures we've been through only Kingdom Hearts can only tell.

We have so many friends around us and I feel so overwhelmed!

I just hope that nothing goes bad! Oh Kingdom Hearts, don't let things get worst! Please, save my friend!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diary, it's officially gotten worst! They, the Heartless ambushed us right in the middle of the night. I didn't get any sleep and Cid, he just took everyone and left Viento, Suello and me to fight. To fight, this insane silver-haired brat called Sephiroth!

The nerve of that fool! I can't believe him. He could at least taken us with him, but no, he just left us behind as he took off with everyone in his stupid airship.

I thought it would take him months to finish it up, but I guess, he was lying. Only the strong can afford to trust, the weak just can't trust at all. Cloud wanted to fight with us, but he got swept up with Cid into the airship. So, Sephiroth is up against two Keyblade Apprentice minus an unconscious one.

I don't know what I am going to do. Just when I thought and prayed for things to get better; they get worst!

I guess, I'll let my anger out on this kid. How dare him try to hurt us! How dare him point his longsword towards an unconscious boy's throat! How dare he attack a bunch of unarmed people! How dare-how dare he!

I can't let my feelings get in the way, but I just can't control my anger. Where did he come from?

Suello's POV

We managed to get away from that freak with the white hair. I really owe Xia for what she did. Now, I am the only one left conscious and worst, there were apparently some pipsqueaks left behind.

Xia nearly finished off the white-haired freak, journal, I nearly got him too! But, he ran off like a coward, figures!

Anyways, journal, you're probably wondering about the pipsqueaks. Well, it turns out they didn't flee when Cid dragged the screaming spikey-blonde kid off. Oh right, his name is Cloud, why am I no good with names?!

The kids, I think their names were Iz and Eli. Well, the white-haired freak completely demolished the house that Cid and the others were. It was a miracle that the kids survived how they did. They had minor injuries and black soot smeared all over their chubby pale faces. Of course, they were screaming and bawling. I would be doing that too in their situation.

For the moment, I have to remain strong. I really can't risk that freak coming back! If he does; we're doomed!

Myself, I have a few scratches. I just don't know how I am going to support two unconscious keyblade wielders and two frantic toddlers. Why does this keep happening?!

Journal, there's somebody coming. I really hope it isn't Sephiroth! I really can't fight him in this state!

Pistol's POV

It looks like I'll have to help out those dunces. I can't believe that guy and Maleficent. Oh the nerve of those-#$%#$$!

I have my Heartless goofs on duty, but I doubt they are gonna prove useful, especially since that uncute man, Sven has that freak experiment Sephiroth on patrol.

My idiot brother just came by along with some other idiot faces. I guess, I'll have to get all the help I can get.

I am lucky that I still have a lot of my mom's Elixirs and Phoenix Dawns on hand. They can only get me so far, but at least my love is conscious now.

He's still mad at me about that dopey world with that dopey black-haired princess. I believe, it was Snow White, but who cares!

He wants to leave, but his uncute boyfriend is keeping from him leaving along with my idiot brother and my idiot brother's sidekicks.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Viento's POV

Why won't they just let me go? Why is that red-haired what's-her-face helping us? I mean, wasn't she part of the destruction of Dwarf Woodlands (sorry I forgot the name)?

I should be at her throat right now due to all the pain she's caused me, but I can't for three reasons. First, I am too hurt, even the slightest movement hurts. Second, her brother, PJ won't let anybody lay a finger on her, even though she constantly picks fights with him. And, finally, she's one of the few people that are standing between us and some kid named Sephiroth. I mean, I could handle this kid, but annoying Suello is keeping me back.

I guess, I'll need to recover for a bit.

Anyways, there is this toddler, Iz, I think his name was. He keeps poking his small, round face towards Begetter. I am afraid that he's going to poke himself. Why didn't anybody just put it away in Shazbarrow, my sheath? I guess, they're too busy caring for me and Xia. I still can't get what happened to her.

When I get better and Xia wakes up, I hear we are going to move underground. I think it's some place called Cavern of Remembrance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Strange Boy's POV

My limit with this imperfect body is coming to a close. Father or Sven as I often hear him referred to comes to my tank every night. His heart is heavy and I can sense much turmoil in his heart. I have no idea what my name is or how I am related to father, but...

I am forever sleeping, well from outside perspectives. Sephiroth, father's trusted apprentice comes into this 'lab', I think that's what it is called. He keeps telling father that they are gone, whoever they are.

Father bangs his fist on the table and later topples it over. Papers fly everywhere and father turns around to Brother Sephiroth, well he's the closest thing I have to a sibling. Gosh, I can't remember! It HURTS!

I hear beeping and father runs over to my tank. He notices that my heartbeat is racing and orders something, massive and scaly to destabilize me. I feel warm as the cool lavender liquids form around my dark, semi-transparent self.

I can barely see anything with these bleary eyes. Who am I? And, what is father up too?

He is now back to Sephiroth, surprisingly my hearing and my 'sensing', an ability I have with feelings as father says are pretty acute than everything else.

I hear father ordering Sephiroth, "Well, if I hadn't saved you from that miserable dungeon, you would have been dead!"

Sephiroth sneers and points his long sword at father, "I could have fought my way out! I didn't need you!"

The two argue and father finally hits Sephiroth with the hilt of his keyblade, well I think it's the name of the weapon. Father approaches my tank and quietly mumbles, "Soon, my son! Soon, you'll have a new body! And, I will find a way to make him pay!"

_

Strange Boy's POV

"Father!" I screamed as Sephiroth stuck father with his long sword. The sight was horrendous and I won't forget it any time soon.

Sephiroth left in a rush as he placed his bloodied blade away. I was still in my tank, but I couldn't TAKE it! Sephiroth shall pay dearly and I don't care if his blood is on my hands!

*CRACK*

Water is everywhere and my long tail whips about. My feet just hover inches above the soaked floor. "SEPHIROTH! SEPHIROTH, BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?!"

Well, the words art thou are what I remember from father reading a bit of Romeo and Juliet to me. I rush to father's side, he's hurt badly, but he's standing.

I take father's injured body to somewhere far away. Father doesn't have much time left and I can feel it in my heart.

Father is now on a bed in an old house we stopped by (Merlin's House from Kingdom Hearts 2).

I tear a book open (The world that leads to Hundred Acre Wood). The pages fly out the window and my dark, shivered up chest rises gently before I release a loud roar with my ant-like mouth.

My father coughs and I am instantly at his side. "X-E-N, my father says faintly," as I hold his hands.

The name is faint, but I vaguely recall it. "I-Is that my name, father?" I ask him.

He lightly nods before his eyes roll to the back of his head. "Father," I mutter as I place my black, ant-like face against his human form. "Father, please don't leave!"

My father's fingers stroke my palms, he's still alive!

I am so happy, but he's still going to fade at any moment.

"Devour me, Xen," my father orders.

I am baffled and distraught at what he's telling me to do. My father gave me life, why should I have to take his?!

"F-Father, I-I...can't..." I say, but my father's heart beat keeps racing and he's about to fade this time for real. "F-Father, please...don't make m-"

"Xen, please-"

There is no arguing with my father. I try to be as quick with my grotesque 'meal'. Father's heart is now within me, well his darkness anyways. His body breaks apart and his fragments dissolve into the wooden floorboards.

"Father..." I cry as I sit on his bed, well my butt only floating a couple inches off the quilt.

I am still angry, but memories come flooding back. Memories that I could never recall, my memories...

"Father is with mother, Xia...and a little boy with blonde hair and dark skin. Is-no was that me?!"

The four of them are huddled together and the image breaks. "Father?"

The memories I see next is of my father coming across something dark and translucent...a heart? My father picks it up and seals it tightly in a container. He then leaves the place-the Badlands. The place where my human self died...

It's so much to take in, but two boys appear. One is in red armor and the other one is in light clothing. I can't see the red one's face, because it is concealed by some sort of helmet. The other boy, I can faintly see...he has striking blue eyes and spikey, wind-swept, blonde hair.

The name comes to me...Ventus...

Anger swells up inside my heart. I am sad and mad at the same time, especially at another man I see. This man tormented father...Xehanort...and I am named after him...

I want to destroy something or someone and I hear my father's words echo in my head, "Get your heart back..."

"My heart?" I mutter to myself before I see another boy with darker, rich brown hair standing next to Ventus...this boy is Viento. I can feel his feelings of hatred in his heart and I can also feel the negative feelings from my father's piece of Kingdom Hearts.

If I want to be whole, I have to devour...Viento...

Viento's POV

_~I keep having the same nightmare. My heart races a thousand beats per minute. The screams in the endless fields never stop shrieking. It's so agonizing and so pleasant at the same time._

What is happening to me?

Am I going insane?!

Love is anguish, only hatred prevails. The scars linger and you will only fall back into your own sea of misery.

I keep hearing my voice singing that. The drips of water keep rushing and now it's raining in the shrieking fields.

The field is no more, but an ocean. The blasting of several shards wakes me up.~

~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was a weird dream I had. Everything was in song and I saw the crop field turn into an endless ocean. Can this be an omen?

Maybe, I am getting paranoid.

We're about to set out this morning, because Xia woke up.

Pistol is still angry that Suello, Xia and her brother, who I learned is named PJ. I still cannot get used to be around these freaks, not Xia or Suello, no PJ, Pistol and those squeaky chipmunks. What were their names again-Chip n' Dale? Eh, it doesn't matter.

We'll soon get away from Sephiroth and out of this distorted world. I can finally tell Xia how I feel about her, but Suello... Will he mind?

I think he has feelings for Xia too. I don't want to ruin the relationship we have now, but-

I wouldn't say we're exactly friends, nowhere near. Maybe, allies, perhaps acquaintances, but...

Ugh! This is so ludicrous!

I mean, my brother-no why am I thinking about that twit?!

I really want to tell Xia how I feel, but- Will she return my feelings? Will she reject me? I don't want to lose the relationship the three of us have. So, I guess, I'll just let life take it's course.

Maybe when the time's right, I can tell her.

If that time ever comes...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iz and Eli got into a bit of a scuffle today. They left the camp. How two pipsqueaks escape the watchful eye of seven 'adults', I'll never know. Suello was suppose to be paying attention, well that's what I thought. It turns out he decided to go hunting. What can he possibly find other than rodents, bears, bats, fish or whatever else in this cave? I haven't seen any wildlife aside from Heartless, I'll never know!

Suello came back today with skinned raccoon and several jugs of milk. Oh joy, we're going to eat good tonight, I guess! I still hate raccoon!

But, it's what we have to deal with. I found out where Suello got the raccoon, it turns out he got it from some stingy duck named Scrooge. Scrooge is supposedly Donald's great uncle or something, but I don't care how those freaks are related.

I digress, it turns out that PJ was supposed to watch the twerps. However, he got into a scuffle with his sister (who has a disturbing affection towards me). Gosh, I am gonna have nightmares tonight!

And, Xia, well she went exploring the cavern. It turns out she and Pistol declared the unofficial leaders of our small, rowdy group. Xia said, "Well, I have to find if there are other people in this cave also hiding from the Heartless and Sephiroth."

That's her excuse; I'm still not buying. But, hey, it beats hearing them arguing and having PJ and Suello breaking up their 'little' cat fight. Those guys are still no good at coaxing girls. Sure, girls are not my best subject, which is why I avoid them. Ouch my head hurts!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Why am I so scatter-brained lately? I forgot to mention saving Iz and Eli. I already went over how they escaped our 'watchful' gaze. I am not gonna mention what I was doing, because that's none of anybody's business.

But, I guess, I am equal to blame.

Well, anyways, Iz and Eli got away from those Neoshadows. I still can't believe I beat them.

I took them back to camp before Xia returned and of course, I took the scolding as usual.

Gee, I feel like I am becoming a scapegoat like Suello.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iz completely touched Begetter again!

I wanted to yell at the kid, but he was gonna wake up the entire camp. I really, really don't want those two girls yelling at me again while PJ and Suello snicker behind my back. And, then it all keeps escalating until nobody didn't get a recent good night's sleep.

Why do girls have to be so difficult?!

Gee, Ventus didn't have any problem with- UGH, WHY DO I KEEP THINKING ABOUT HIM OVER AND OVER AGAIN?! I hated it when mom and dad compared how much of a failure I was to Ventus, but now I am doing it myself. I guess, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

No, No, Viento, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF! You are you not Ventus!

The stinging to my red cheeks from my now aching hands helped a little. I slapped myself just to snap myself out of my-I don't know what to call it.

The pain helps, but I hate the stinging!

Iz overheard something about a keyblade ceremony. How he heard it, I still don't know. But, all I do know is that I somehow 'bestowed' my gift of keybaring upon him. It doesn't make any sense!

I guess, those words that dad said to Ventus when he received Wayward Wind helped. How did it go again? Oh yes!

"_In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love._"

**Suello's POV**

Vi has been acting weird lately. Yeah, I know I should have kept a closer eye on the tots, but...

I digress, because I am getting off-topic. Vi and Pistol went off somewhere.

I don't think Vi liked Pistol, they just seem too different.

Xia's POV

I wondered through my diary and found this entry from my father. I don't know where Viento and Pistol are. Maybe, they're making out or something. I don't care!

Sven's Letter

My time is short and my darkness feels like it is at it's limit. I miss the old times, Xia. I can only see the four of us together in my dreams. I picture us at a beach, but I know it's not real.

The beach is only an illusion. Reality is such a bummer, Xia. I wish you could see the same dream as me. You would probably laugh and cry, but I wish this dream was real.

Your mom is here just as I remember her and so is your brother. He's no longer broken apart as I found him.

I know I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't. You wouldn't have forgiven me.

**Xia's POV**

Those idiots, where the heck did they run off too?! Why am I still rambling about them? If Pistol wants to have that cheater, Viento, she can have him! Why do I care?!

No, I shouldn't let my feelings get the best of me. He's a friend, nothing more and nothing less.

I still feel crushed every since they left. PJ is nowhere in sight. The chipmunks were the ones to report them missing. Maybe, Viento did something to PJ and ran off with Pistol. No, that's stupid! Viento doesn't even like her, right?

Diary, I've still gotten through most of the charred letter I found in you. Father, I can understand you better now somewhat. I miss mom and Xen, but that's still no excuse to do what you're doing!

**Viento's POV**

The monster attacked us out of nowhere. I thought it was Sephiroth or Master Sven, but it was neither of them. I still don't get how Pistol managed to convince me and PJ to come up here. Maybe, it was the temptation to get out of that murky cave. Maybe, it was to get my mind off of Suello lying to me about losing Eli and Iz. Either one seems like a logical conclusion.

I still can't believe that I let that stranger use Pistol like bait and blast PJ off like that. It was unexpected!

I still tried to get Pistol away from that thing and left PJ to take care of it. I think it called itself Xen, but...

I shouldn't have left PJ alone with Xen, it's too strong. Pistol's now unconscious and we're currently taking shelter in an old house in the forsaken, colorful town once known as Radiant Gardens.

We're alone, but...I really don't care for Pistol like that! Maybe, I have feelings, but... Okay, I DON'T CARE!

I still can't leave her alone with all those Heartless, Sephiroth and Xen crawling about. PJ trusted me and I really can't...

I really hope that Xia's not mad! I don't care about Pistol and I can't let Iz and Eli down.  
**  
Suello's POV**

Xia and I have no choice now. We're with Chip and Dale and the two pipsqueaks; Iz and Eli. We're both looking for Pistol and Viento. It's just scary with a guy, a girl, two chipmunks and two brats alone in a town full of ravaging monsters. They could ambush us at any moment and rip out our hearts.

No, what am I saying!? Journal, I have to remain positive, because I seem to be the only one aside from Chip and Dale keeping a leveled head. Xia's just ranting on about Vi.

If Vi does anything with that redheaded devil than I'll never forgive him, because he hurt Xia. I don't want anything coming between our friendship, especially since we finally reunited.

Chip and Dale are keeping an eye out for PJ. He's probably keeping an eye on those two kids. I mean, three is a crowd, right?

We also have to wary of the Heartless and Sephiroth. Don't want them getting sneak on us, right?

But, it's hard, because Xia and I both only have one free hand as we're carrying Iz and Eli around. The two brats won't stop screaming as they cling to us. They're too scared to touch the ground. It's time like this, I wish we had a babysitter.

**Flashback**

Sven's POV

_I found Sephiroth, a small child with silver hair in the depths of an abandoned dungeon. The research I've conducted on the place lead me to believe that a certain group of scientists had involved themselves in something rather sticky._

I saw one of the portraits up in the upper layers of the castle. It was of a young man with olive skin and white hair. He looked a lot like Master Xehanort, but I couldn't let that fact deter me from my own research.

Sephiroth was fighting off a bunch of Heartless, he seemed to be winning. The power of darkness he showed was impressive, he sort of reminded me of myself. However, that's another matter for another day.

I had to think of a way of making an agreement with the youth.

He said he was after a certain kid named Cloud Strife. Why I have no clue, other than Sephiroth wanted to boost his own ego.

I agreed and helped Sephiroth by getting rid of the nuisances that kept him from going above ground; the Heartless. It was easier said than done. And, I am no fool to trust fools like Sephiroth with blind faith.

The last time I did that, I ended up in a coma. Why am I getting off-topic? I can't let my past cloud my judgments, because I have someone that I want to bring back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I let Alice go just to tick Maleficent off. I wanted to use her minions as a test subject for my son. Xen He is not a Heartless, because he still had his body intact as well as half of his heart; his light. Xen was unresponsive to the treatments I tried putting him through. My son was a lost cause, but I refused to acknowledge that!

I decided to test the shadows and there's where Sephiroth came in. The darkness could help form the missing half of my son's heart. He then would have to find a body to possess. I was hoping that Sephiroth would assist me in this endeavor, but he was opposed to helping me with that part of the plan.

I called Xen's status; a fracture. Fractures are not like Heartless and they are nowhere near to Nobodies. They still possess a part of their heart, which left to a near decay of the body. Heartless are just wondering creatures that only possess darkness, well in the case of the Purebloods. The Emblem Heartless are creatures that possess darkness with artificial hearts, which I found while on my excursions.

Nobodies, I am still researching. If my hypothesis is correct, they are just the left-over bodies of those unfortunate to the darkness.

Darkness and light formed the galaxy and in turn the worlds, well that's what I believe. The warriors mentioned in the legend had darkness just as everything did, but they didn't keep in check. The light from the children put the worlds back in order after the havoc.

Master would always preach this story to us as children. He wasn't as insane back then, even though I always had my life on a loose thread at all times. Why am I so distracted?!

This isn't like me!

I have to keep my mind on my research. Xen's counting on me!

I refuse to lose my son a second time.

My darkness, Sephiroth's and the minions of Maleficent can only get me so far. If he doesn't have a body than my efforts would be in vain. My body is too old and will likely not balance off the darkness and as I mentioned prior, Sephiroth is too much of a brat to help. So, the only choices left are; Suello, Viento, Pistol Pete and my daughter.

I can't for the sake of me to sacrifice my daughter for my own research. Akua would never forgive me!

Pistol Pete might not be a good choice. She's sneaky!

Suello, he's too weak for my efforts.

So, the only choice left is Viento. He seems to balance the light and the darkness pretty well. He's also the son of Uranus, the person that tormented me in my youth. So, he's the perfect choice. Call my choice, immature, but Xen's counting on me!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24

~Double-Crosser~

The two keyblades clashed; a dagger versus a sword. Both boys were exhausted, both were at their limit. Suello glared at the traitor he had called friend. He had mixed feelings about attacking Viento, if this was even him anymore.

"Why did you hurt her?!" Suello shouted as the two were caught in the rain.

Viento, Xen or whoever was in command contorted it's body. Suello gasped as he saw the loose flesh of his best friend fall off and soar off into the midnight-blue sky.

"Vi, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!" Suello shouted as he pushed his keyblade even closer towards Viento's heart.

Viento kept doing somersaults on the roof that the two stood on. A dark, gaunt hand reached up to the boy's face and ripped the last remnants of flesh off. A loud roar echoed and Suello could only stare in horror as something grotesque replaced his traitorous best friend.

Flashback

Viento's POV

I didn't see it coming, Xen, I mean or whatever. He or it caught me by surprise. The pain, IT'S unbearable!

I feel like I am losing everything; my sanity, my senses and myself. Maybe, I never really was here. Maybe, this thing was always me.

What am I thinking? That thing or that person did away with PJ and Pistol...ugh!

I can't take this anymore!

What?!

"Go back to sleep," the thing hissed as it swiped it's giant claw at my face.

Blood pours out and I feel cold. I feel my body fade into the black. The pain, the cold, it's TOO much!

I can't take it!

"No, PLEASE DON'T GO AFTER THEM!"

"SUELLO, CHIP, DALE, IZ, ELI, XIA, G-GET AWAY!"

"You can't save them, after all you ran away like a coward," the thing hissed. "You really liked Xia and you used Pistol as an excuse, because of you...her and her brother are gone!" The Heartless or Fracture or whatever it is just keeps taunting.

I am restrained and I can't move!

Why am I always so weak? Why did I have to run and cause my friends so much pain?

WHY?!

The thing's right, I am nothing more than a double-crosser!

Flashback

Suello's POV

Journey, I didn't tell you about my childhood, because, well I don't want to remember it.

"What the heck is wrong with you?!"

The memories are blurred and unbearable.

A boy huddles against an unseen figure, Ran. It was my older sibling.

"Ran, get Suello outta here!"

My mom reaches her hand out to us with a look of ghastly fear. She mutters the word, "I'M SORRY!"

What she's sorry about, I have no clue. Ran, the shadowy figure I mentioned before picks me up. I don't know how old I am. My mom, Veronica screams as she tries to trip someone unseen that is after us. He stumbles, but gets back up. We are already out of the room before he comes stomping down the stairs.

Veronica, my m-mother, she's gone!

Another memory flashes by as my mom, Veronica pats my small head. Green tufts of hair are in my face and she swiped them away. She smiles, but I cannot tell what she looks like aside from the same shadowy figure as my older sibling, Ran. The bright sunlight suddenly turns pitch black and the same screaming phantom shows up.

"Where are they?! Veronica, you better not be lying to me!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I hear my mom, Veronica's agonizing shout of pain.

I want to forget it, but it haunts me. Time doesn't heal all wounds, it just lessens the pain.

The phantom descends the spiral staircase with a bloody, broken glass of alcohol in his hands. I don't see him before I am wisped away by Ran.

Ran huddles me in the back of it's bike. I cling on for dear life as the phantom chases us with his truck.

His blearing lights distract Ran and it's bike nearly runs into a ditch.

Gunshots are fired and all else goes blank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am now in a long tunnel, which is made out of sandstone. I scrape my palm against it's rough surface and I cry with pain. The shouting of the phantom gets louder behind me and I soon realize it's the phantom. I run and I run, but it gets to be much!

The gunshots are fired at me as I flee. The smell of something burning catches me off-guard for a sec. It smells like Ran, but the phantom couldn't have hurt it, right?!

Phantom approaches with his heavy boots in the dirt of the forest. I scream and hide in the tunnel, but he finds me. I find a hand planted on my shoulder and know it is the specter.

He shakes me around and my head collides into the walls of the long, narrow tunnel.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I am later in a strange room in a strange place, I've never been before.

There is muttering outside and two curious faces staring at me with awe.

I hear a name muttered to the elderly lady that somehow reminds me of someone, perhaps Veronica, my mother.

Her long, silver locks are held back. She has kind eyes, kind golden-yellow eyes, which reminds me of a cat.

A chubby face peers at me from the side. She has the same color hair as the woman, perhaps they are related.

The girl's hair is up in braids and she wears a frilly, black dress. The girl looks at me and tries asking my name, but the woman puts her slender, gentle fingers to her lips and glances down at the little girl with the same kind cat eyes.

"Xia, this boy isn't in a good situation to talk right now. Let's give him his space, okay?"

The little girl, Xia places her small, fragile hand into the lady's giant hand. They leave the room and I notice for a split second that she has a swollen tummy.

I hear muttering, but it's not shouting. It's barely audible.

I can make out the words, "I...found...him..."

A lady's voice asks in despair, "What...about the other found?"

I hear the voice before saying, "? didn't make it, the burns were too greats!"

My world crashes and I am now sitting on a swing with Xia beside me on another swing.

The sky is a bleak gray, the sun's bright rays still make me squint, and I can feel the cold soil between my bare toes.

"You've been with us for awhile now. Can you talk yet?"

I look at her and shake my head.

"What's your name?" she asks with curiosity written all over her face.

I spell out my name in the soil with my big toe. One letter at a time, S-U-E-L-L-O!

Xia snickers, "Suello, doesn't that mean dirt?"

I nod my head and she is sad. "Who would name you that?"

I look away and then show up with a smile on my face. Xia's dumbfounded by my expression.

"Do you like the name, Suello?" she asks me.

I erase the letters with whole foot this time. I write in the soil this time, "It suits me!"

Xia is confused and it starts snowing.

We rush inside and I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I scream, well as much as a traumatized youth could.

The golden kind eyes glance down at me and says it will be alright.

I just don't know what to say. The lady, I learned was named Akua and I didn't allow myself to grow attached, because she would die soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am now in a guest room that Xia's father, Lord Sven prepared for me. He isn't the same as Lady Akua, who I miss dearly.

Times are hard on him, his daughter and the entire household.

I sneak around and find him in his study. The door closes behind me and I mutter a sentence to him, "Sven-sama?"

The blonde-haired man smiles up at me with his twinkling silver-gray eyes. He seems strained and he ushers me over with his bent fingers. I walk over and I notice a cradle.

"That's my son, Xen," he whsipers. "Isn't he precious?"

I nod and Sven glances the other way as he and I leave the study for a maid to come in.

We stand in the long hallway with the large windows reflecting the golden rays from outside.

"Suello?" I hear him say. "That is your name, right?"

I nod and ask, "What do you want, Sven-sama?"

Sven turns his back to me and looks out the window at a rainbow. "You've been for us for quite awhile and I decided to let someone close to me adopt you."

I am lost for words, "R-Really?!"

Sven smiles at me with his cocked face, "One of my servants, Lady Avariley. She's the one that found you and brought to us."

I don't know what Sven-sama means, but he just looks away.

"From today forth, you're one of the family. Even if you are a son of a servant now, you're still one of us."

Sven-sama leaves and I am left baffled


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25

~Sleep~

Viento's POV

I've had it! I've had it! I've had it!

I'm tired! I'm tired! I'm tired!

Yet, I have to force myself to stay awake. The world is a twisted place to be born into. It is taking all my energy just to stay focused.

Suello's voice cried out to me and I can barely concentrate.

I am fighting back against this thing, even though it seems like it's winning!

Tired and exhausted, I don't quit!

The numbness is coming back, especially after what it did to Xia. I don't want to accept the fact that I did that to Xia, I just can't tolerate that.

Flashback

Xia's POV

I saw it, but I still refuse to believe it! That Pistol, that ugh! How could Viento do that with her!

Why did I have to see them French-kissing! Viento didn't seem to pull away until he saw me.

Of course, I was already running off by then.

I don't know what to believe anymore!

But, Viento needs my help. He's a friend still and even if I resent him; I have to put my feelings behind me.

His screams echo throughout the empty town. Pistol was lying on the ground, which I was happy about. But, I wasn't happy to see that Viento was the one that caused the fatal wound.

Viento, why?! I thought you liked her!

Viento glanced at me with those swollen, amber eyes of his. The irises were amber while the whites of the eyes were completely replaced with black. He had a scary smile etched on his face and he said, "Run!"

I was frozen, but I took Tsubaki out. Tsubaki will set my friend right, right?

Tsubaki did minimal damage. Viento or whatever was possessing him kept any fatal damage from being done. I tried getting through to him, but he just kept screeching.

The screeching kept persisting and he did that. I feel cold and Begetter is through my chest. I grip onto the blade and try pulling it out. It's pointless!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fight is over and Suello is carrying me back to the cottage where we reunited with Cid at. I am stuck on this bed in this small room with just a tray of food and a cup of water. Bandages are wrapped tightly around my abdomen and my shoulders. Aerith keeps checking on me and my mind is just fuzzy.

I ask where Suello is and she doesn't answer.

I ask where I am at. Aerith responds as she comes in to re-bandage my wounds; it is a miracle that I am not dead!

She quietly mutters, "Traverse Town..."

It all hits me like a ton of bricks. The kids, Iz and Eli are safe in the custody of an elderly couple somewhere, possibly the first district. Nancy, their daughter seems like a proficient fighter. So, I trust them, once or if I recover, I'll check on them!

I close my eyes and slump my head against the soft, feather pillow again.

Suello's POV

I keep kicking, shooting and punching, but my blows do nothing. Viento has to be saved! I know how corny that sounds, but Xia is incapacitated and I am the only one standing.

Viento, I'm sorry for this!

I pick up Begetter and ram it into the center of it's middle head on the back. The head on the tail and the head on the neck are yelping in agony and all I can do is sob.

Crying gets you nowhere!

That's something I had to learn the hard way.

Friends and family, they all go away. So, what's the point of lingering when you're all by yourself? I am my own worst enemy right now and I feel like things are sleeping away.

I can only glance at my former friend as he goes down with the beast in darkness. The Chimera Heartless yelps one last time and everything goes white.

I am no longer in Traverse Town that's much is certain. But, where is Vi? Did I save him?!

~~~~~~~

Iz & Eli

"Everything comes together and everyone falls apart. One mind conquers two hearts. For the self is more important than the emotions."

Xia's POV

My father was never a philosopher, nowhere close. He always had to do business in other words, mostly when Xen and I were little in other worlds. He was gone for most of the nights when the servants tucked me and Xen under the covers and kissed us good night.

We didn't have much of a childhood like the other kids at school did. They had two parents to look after them. It didn't matter, if it was two moms, two dads, or a mom and a dad. There was always two parents looking after them and Xen and I just had one parent; a dad to look after us.

Even when dad was here, he was preoccupied with something. He did take us to festivals, but he always had something on his mind; grandpa.

Grandpa always daunted my father's mind. Sven would constantly rave about how miserable his childhood and training were under the elderly goblin. Dad would tell us stories about his past that gave us nightmares, especially when either of us got into trouble at school or at home.

"Don't you realize how lucky you are, Xia?! When I was your age, I didn't even have the opportunity of going to school like you did. So, HOW DARE YOU GET AN F!"

I would exclaim, "Daddy, I have to-"

He would listen briefly before his face would turn completely red and he would usher me out the door. I knew he needed his time to cool off, parents are weird that way.

Xen and I always had to depend on each other, especially when it came to school.

Xen, diary as I mention this prior; he wasn't a very strong individual. He was always so fragile that if you called him a name, he would cry. I always looked to him as a little brother and I guess as he grew up, I never stopped treating him as such.

If there was a bully there and he pushed Xen into the mud. Oh boy, sparks were definitely going to fly!

One time, Xen called me out on this. He said, "I could have handled that guy on my own, Xia! I don't always need my sister picking my fights. SO, Stop trying to act like mom!"

I would be left breathless and do the same thing as dad did when upset; walk away.

Sure, walking away may have seem cowardly to some parents, mostly Viento's father, Uranus. However, some times, that's the only option one has, diary.

"Get mad or get out!" was a phrase I came up when ever strife reared it's ugly head at home and at school. Some times, I didn't have that option. Like Xen, I had my own bullies.

The girls at my school.

Bianca cornered me in the girl's bathroom one day. She blocked the doorway as I was done drying my hands. "HEY XIA, What's that I've been hearing about you making puppy eyes at my boyfriend?!"

I would respond, "Bianca, can you please move? I didn't make puppy eyes at Eric; he doesn't even like you!"

Bianca got red and pushed me against the sink. My back hurt!

She snickered, "Well, if little miss perfect doesn't stop brown-nosing than there's going to be dire consequences!"

I glared at Bianca, "Eric said that he doesn't like you, Bianca! You know, he's told you time and time again; STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU HAG!"

Bianca's nostrils flared and she twirled a lock of her auburn hair as she stormed out of the bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The school bell rang.

Bianca was nowhere in sight. Eric had already gone home for the day and Xen was missing.

I went looking for him and saw him pinned against the monkey bars. Bianca gripped the collar of his shirt and steam came out of her nostrils. "Since, your sister's not around, you're gonna pay!"

She drew her fist and punched my brother across the face. He yelled, "Can't you resolve this with my sister? Why do I have to pay?!"

Bianca snickered as she punched my brother again in the face, "You know, darn well...your sickly sister is sickly perfect and you're nothing but a crybaby!"

"I am not," Xen yelled through tears. His cheeks were swollen due to Bianca's punching.

I tackled her to the concrete basketball court. Furry was all I could feel in my heart right them. Bianca was terrified and Xen ran away!

Bianca threw me against the monkey bars and began punching me like my brother, "Why do you always have to ruin everything?! Eric could have been mine, but you had to stick your pretty, little nose and scare him off like that!"

She yanked my hair and I growled in pain. We fought, both of us exchanging kicks and punches with every which way. Both of us were red and bruised.

"There, they are, principal!" my brother came back with the school's principal, Mr. Prickly.

He yelled and ordered us to the office. Bianca pulled off her signature crocodile tears once we were in and Mr. Prickly demanded what happened. She pointed fingers and said, "I was only trying to help Xen get home since Xia was so busy with cleaning up the classroom. I felt compelled to do her a favor and walk him home!"

Mr. Prickly wasn't happy with Bianca's response and suspended both of us both a week.

When Bianca and I returned to school, she was more irked than I've ever seen her. Eric started talking to me and she would start spreading rumors. She said that I used Mr. Prickly's hairbrush to pick up dog poop and that's why the principal looked like he really bad hair."

Yeah, diary, I know her rumors didn't make any sense. Things got worst when she brought a knife to school. I don't even want to go into what happened, it wasn't pretty! After that incident, Mr. Prickly expelled her. We still saw her outside the school gates from time to time. Every time, she just locked eyes with me and used her index finger to cross her neck; the same old threat used everyday. She also gave me the middle finger from time to time. I never told dad what happened, the servants told him and he was at a lost of what to do. He did ground me though.

Bianca eventually moved away and for that, diary, I'm thankful! She no longer threatens Xen or me anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suello's POV

I was at a lost of words to know what happened. I knew Xen and Xia were close before, but not this close. I glanced over to her bed where she was still sleeping. My heart skipped a beat before I walked over to her. I pecked her on the cheek and drew the covers up to her pointed chin. And, I blew out the candle before wishing her a good night.

Flashback

Viento's POV

I got tired of living with my folks and my PERFECT brother, Ventus. My mother and my father always CRITICIZED me! It was always, "Ventus this" or "Ventus that" or "Viento, why can't you be more like your brother, VENTUS?!"

I threw Begetter at the picture of my brother. He had been gone two weeks and both of our parents were going crazy. They loaded me with numerous tasks such as chopping wood and helping my mom's mom with her stupid sponge bath (DON'T ASK)!

It was irritating, especially with school; I had barely any time to work on my research paper due to all the constant demands from everybody. My father wanted me to work harder in my keyblade training. My mother wanted to keep up with my schoolwork and maintaining the house and the stupid barn. And, my grandmother, my mom's mom wanted everyone's attention all the time, because she was so ancient.

She couldn't dress herself, she couldn't feed herself, she couldn't cook, and she couldn't even do all the bare minimal. My grandmother wanted to be on her own, despite her fragility that came with her age. My father wanted to put her in a nursing home, but my mother wouldn't have it.

So, my father took the initiative of inviting his stupid brothers, my uncles over. Gosh, I couldn't handle the smoke those two bozos lit in the house and flushed down our toilets. There was always a heated argument between my mom and one of those clowns. She always got more heated when she and dad went to bed at night.

There was always banging and screaming.

"WHY DID YOU BRING THEM HERE?!"

"Because, they are family! Plus, Jasper and Boris just broke up with their girlfriends and I couldn't let them live on the street."

"UGH, you're so stupid!" My mom threw something, it crashed against the wall and splattered, I think it was glass.

"Well, I don't see what's the problem with me having my brothers over since you invited that hag to live with us!"

"My mom is not a hag!" My mother threw another glass and apparently my dad blocked it or something with his keyblade, because it didn't smash against the wall.

"Well, Uranus, I can't stand those two brutes! I am taking my mother and Viento and leaving tomorrow!"

"Oh, and where are you going to be staying, huh?!"

My mom was quiet, but she threw something else, a lot more heavier than a glass this time. It left a hole in the wall of their bedroom the next morning.

"Face facts, Marina! You're just a stupid homemaker. You would be nothing without me!"

My dad forever reason banged something against the wall, possibly his keyblade. My mom stormed out of the room with the door slamming. I heard her walk down the stairs and she drove off in her car while it was storming outside.

I really didn't want to hear their bickering, honest I did. I shoved the pillow over my head. I turned to the radio up to it's highest volume. I tried walking out of my room and going outside, but I was reprimanded my grandma as she said it was raining and half past nine at night; too late to go out walking.

My uncle, Jasper was in the next room and he banged against his wall, "TURN THAT BLIMEY RACKET DOWN, YOU BRAT! Some of us are trying to sleep, eh?!"

The pillow thing was no better, because I felt like I was losing air due to how long my head was under the soft feathery goodness. Don't judge! Even still, I could still hear my parents.

Ventus, why were you blessed with leaving? I am growing to hate you more as the days past. I am thinking about running away since I am losing my marbles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sat in the quiet forest, nothing sounded.

Sounds kind of repetitive, but it suits me. I guess, with all the loud noises of my home life, I needed the peace and quiet.

Ventus just left two months ago, I'm still irked.

Everything sucks!

But, Ventus would flinch his index finger on my forehead and tell me that everything would be okay.

"Yeah right!" I say as I open a can of orange soda. I gobble it down, fearing that somebody might snatch it up out of my hands. That fear sounds silly, especially as I stated before that I am in a forest by myself.

The taste of the bubbly, carbonated water isn't much to my liking; it's still better than water.

Oh, I forgot to mention. My parents and Ventus don't let me have sodas, well they mostly don't. I always spend the extra change I find on sodas, specifically Pepsi and Mountain Dew.

Why am I bringing up my soda addiction? Because, I need something to preoccupy my mind till sunrise.

My parents, my grandma, and uncles might be looking for me soon. They'll probably scold me, but who cares!

At least, I got to sneak some soda and get away from the house.

I snuck out my window and shimmied down the gutter, which still has left me with some scrapes. At least, they didn't hear me.

I got my blue bike and rode to the back of the complex to the woods. It was just a little after midnight.

Someone lit some fireworks up and I watched as the last of the sprinklers went off in the mulch.

Somebody, well a blurry shadow threw water on the sprinklers before any fighter went off. I hid behind a nearby shack and watched as the figures passed me by.

I'll never forget that night.

I went behind some trees and placed my sleeping bag in the dirt. I scurried under the covers and read a magazine that I brought. I heard footsteps in the forest, it was mere inches from me. I saw a cave and snatched up my belongings to tiptoe towards it. The cave is where I spent my night.

Sunrise came quicker than I expected.

The figures left and my quiet attempts became louder as I rushed out of the cave.

I don't know why I did it, but I headed back home.

I was in a world of trouble.

My father trapped me in the hall and screamed at me, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, MAGGOT?! Do you know how scared you had all of us?"

I tried to speak up, but I just choked on the words.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, young man!?"

The words I had been choking on rushed out. "I was in the woods. You don't care, so don't even pretend!"

My father roared and yanked me by the ear to his and my mom's bedroom.

My parents' scowled at me and I tried running out of that room, I really did!

But, dad had the door locked.

I shrieked and tried faking fainting. Dad threw a bucket of cold water in my face and hoisted me back to my feet.

My parents sat on the bed and I tried blocking out everything they said.

I was finally let go; a complete wreak.

If mom and dad really loved me; they sure have a funny way of showing it!

Why did Ventus get to go to camp? Why was I left behind? Oh, because I stood by and intentionally skipped and flunked fifth grade that day.

I sat in my room, well tried too. Jasper came in with a large pail of water and Borris came in with the mop, broom and dust pan. "Your father says he wants you to clean up the stables. And, he said you have to do it by yourself. So, hurry it up, brat!"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26

~Lost to Darkness~

Traverse Town was in total chaos, everyone was barricaded into the confines of the numerous shops, restaurants, and homes that made up that side of town. Numerous blue creatures switched about along with multiple Shadows that snuck about. If somebody wasn't careful, they were suddenly taken hostage by the monsters.

Viento glowered down from the tower that he and his ex-friend, Suello fought on. He snickered at the many people panicking and then get wrapped up by his minions. "S-STOP!" Suello screamed, but Viento quickly blocked his attack with one of his protruding appendages.

Viento shrieked in pain and for a moment, the gray and golden eyes flashed to helpless, aqua-blue. Suello nearly lost his balance on the shingled roof, but the ex-keyblader extended one of his numerous appendages to the dark skinned boy.

"I cannot have my prey dying on me," Viento/Xen/Sven giggled before retracting said appendage to have it striking at Suello once more.

Suello hoped onto his keyblade and impaled it within the gushing, liquid appendage.

The boy, Xen roared an agonizing roar and his eyes completely shifted to an eerie crimson. He glowered hungrily at Suello and knocked the African keyblader off of the roof.

Xen dove down after him and the two exchanged blows. Liquid clashing against metal, SLASH, SPLAT... and so on.

Suello managed to land on one of the lower roofs of the buildings. People were still retreating to the gates of the First District, Xen/Sven/Viento just kept attacking and attacking. His human face completely became distorted and dark ropes wrapped around the boy's eyes.

He screamed an inhuman screech and he was now a phantom of his former self. His liquid tentacles/claws/appendages formed into a large sais along with a long, scaly tail. Slate gray extended out till it covered the entire scalp of this scaly monstrosity.

Viento snarled at Suello and a faint voice called out, "H...help u-us!"

Suello gathered his courage and prepared the final blow to Viento.

Just then, a figure ran out from the opening gates of the first district. "Xia, GO BACK!" Suello yelled, surprised that his love interest was awake.

She stood motionless as several blue, gray and black Heartless swarmed around her.

She would have called Tsukabi, but she was dumbfounded at the commotion going on.

The monsters tackled her and she instantly repelled them with a blast of silver light. "G-GET BACK!"

Viento's POV

I didn't mean to HURT anybody! I didn't!

"You should have known better. Why be jealous of someone that tried to protect you?"

I didn't! I didn't! I keep screaming, but the words keep flooding into my mind.

"Because, of you, Pistol and her brother are gone! Because, of you, your friend is in a coma! Because, of you, so many have suffered!"

NO! It WASN'T my fault!

I keep screaming and striking t whatever is in front of me. I don't see anything, I can't see anything.

It's all too dark.

I'm scared, but I don't want to admit it.

The blows that Suello is giving me are just too painful. But, why do I keep attacking?!

I didn't mean to hurt Xia or the others, really I didn't!

"LIAR! You always wanted them gone, especially your brother."

I close my ears with my hands to cover the two, monotone voices that are speaking to me. They sound like something out of the Exorcist.

"Don't you remember, Vi! You wanted your brother gone and so you suffered for what you wanted. Don't you forget!"

A strong force knocks me over, the wind is literally knocked out of me. I can barely stand as I fall deeper and deeper into the black.

Images flash through my head.

I was only eleven, but I am in the doorway.

My older brother, Ventus is packing his clothes, his toothbrush, his toothpaste, his dental floss, his hair brush and so on.

He sees me out of the corner of his eye.

"I can't wait till you're gone. Tomorrow, mom and dad will be giving me attention, instead of you," I responded, hoping to strike that dumb smile off my onii-san's face.

It doesn't change anything! He still looks stupid!

Ven goes into hug me and I back away. Screaming, "Why did I have to be born the youngest? I HATE you and I wish you were never born! Because, of you, everybody ALWAYS criticizes me!"

Ventus tries to comfort me, but I punch him in the face. Then, like I coward I am, I run off.

"Don't you see how stupid you were? Why bite the hand that tries to feed you? Ventus was the only one that cared about you, but you, like the little brat you are; pushed him away! You cheered the next day he left with that man, the one that destroyed us!"

I hear tension in the two voices. I see a flash of a young boy, 'Xen' comes to mind.

He is screaming and trying to run away from some psychotic man, Master Xehanort. My father told me stories about him. My father, Uranus greatly admired the man and so implored his master's training tactics on me.

The boy screams, "Grandpa, please, don't let me face Ventus! I don't want to hurt him!"

Xehanort just rolls his eyes and strikes the boy down with a blast of Firaga. Xen screams and Xehanort just...just...

"Kill us..." the voices speak in unison.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 27

~The Distant Me~

Viento's POV

The screaming startled me 'awake' or something.

The shrieking made by Xen and Sven.

They covered the entire darkness with white fog.

I could barely see or catch my breath!

I felt suffocated and blind, both at the same time. The fog seemed to be like an eraser with pencil; scratching away all the darkness like one would do with those online art programs. But, that's probably a bad metaphor. It's the only thing I can come up with for now.

The darkness tries to form again, but the white fog just keeps pushing it back. However, the darkness wins and the white fog and me are devoured by it.

I shriek and a pale, white hand pulls me out from what seems like a puddle.

The boy that rescued me has really saturated, pink hands now that I take a second look at him. His hair is long and covered in round knots. His eyes are hidden by his squarish, triangular bangs. The boy is not very tall, only about to my chin; I'm not that tall, just 4'11".

The boy brings his saturated, pink hand to his shark-teeth-like mouth and begins chewing at his cubicles and nails. He makes me nervous and I take one closer look at the boy. His eyes, well his eye lids, no his entire face is covered in X-shaped scars. Well, I take that back. He has one scar that looks like a crudely drawn star.

I ask him his name and he spits shakes with my one of my hands. I'm disgusted!

"My name is Seo, but please call me Seth!" the boy said as he gave me a toothy grin.

I look around us, he and I are both wearing a purplish jumpsuit.

I ask him, "Where are we?"

Seth smirks and snaps his sharp clawed fingers, "We're in the future."

I glance at him weirdly and he just disappears.

I run about the city. It's still Traverse Town, but something is very, very different.

The fifth and the garden district are all blocked off, everybody seems barricaded in the first district. I notice that there is a boy lying near one of the brick walls. I try to go over to the spiky-haired brunette, but...my hand just goes right through him.

"Come on, please S-Sora! You gotta wake up!" I don't know how I knew the boy's name, it just came to me.

"He can't hear you," Seth said as he unexpectedly appeared behind me, which left me with a jolt.

"What the heck?! Don't scare me like that! And, what are you?" I need to get down to the bottom of this. What is this Seth?

Seth gives me another toothy grin before vanishing again, "I'm you!"

I scratch my head. "What's that even mean?!"

I continue to shout, but there is suddenly something running this way. It's an orange dog. The dog, Pluto (still don't know how I knew his name) licks Sora's face. I looks around and mutters two names, "K-Kairi...R-Riku!"

They say that everything comes with a purpose, perhaps they're wrong. I still cannot understand where I am at or to be more precise, when I am at.

I've been following this Sora kid for quite some time now. Nobody sees me, well, except that annoying Seth kid. I think he's the reason why I am here. Anyways, I digress, Sora's been leading me in circles now. We ran into, you guessed it, Leon.

Man, he grew! He's no longer that sad, little boy that I last saw. He was the first indication that time had changed. We also ran into some other faces, but I still didn't see Cloud or Sephiroth. I didn't even see my friends, Xia and Suello. Where are they?!

The town looks like it is overrun with Heartless, so apparently, everybody has locked themselves in the first district. Sora hasn't been to the fifth district or where the garden was.

What happened to this place?!

I can only stick with Sora, because I have nobody to follow, nobody that looks the same, anyways. Man, where's Xia and Suello?!

Maybe, if I follow Sora, he might lead me to- "Ugh, what the heck!" I just noticed that something heavy landed on top of me and Sora. I look up and hear their voices, Goofy and Donald? No, what are they doing here?

I listen to their conversation. Apparently, they like everyone else cannot see me. Man, I hate this! There's so much I want to ask them. However, I don't know how to contact them.

Leon shows up after Sora, Goofy and Donald take us to Merlin's House. Man, I thought everybody lived in the first district due to the Heartless roaming around. I guess, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. But, still, why does Merlin live out in the middle of the third district?! It's NOT safe, especially since that 'Guard Armor' Heartless appeared.

What is he thinking?

I still cannot believe that Sora managed to beat it. This kid, no matter how inexperience he is with the Keyblade, sure can pack a punch.

It looks like I still haven't found Xia or Suello. Did they change? Are they still even alive? I don't know and to be frank, I am scared to find out. All that havoc, I caused, I just...can't face them.

Sora still hasn't found his friends either, well I take it back. He did find this Riku kid, but I could see that the silvernette looked irked. Apparently, he thinks that Sora replaced him and this Kairi person with Goofy and Donald. How ridiculous!

I can hardly stop laughing. It's a good thing they cannot see me. How embarrassing, would it be if they found some stranger next to them when there wasn't before?

I can only keep moving. Sora, Goofy and Donald are now on the Gummy Ship. I still never got used to this thing, perhaps I never shall.

Anyways, Sora's a bad driver! Seriously, who gives a freaking fourteen-year-old a driver license?!

Viento's POV

I cannot handle this! No, I cannot!

Why me of all people? Why did I have to pay for something that I didn't want to buy in the first place?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

No, I didn't buy anything! I can't even get my hands on the munny that dispersed every time Sora beat one of those Heartless. They just seem to be nothing, but gluttons for punishment. Sora seems to be better capable of dealing with them than I did. I mean, these things caused the deaths of my mom and my dad. I still cannot forgive them, especially since that incident with that weirdly dressed man.

He just suddenly passed out on the ground and transformed into a Soldier Heartless. Oh, I don't also want to forget that lady. She tried to...what's the better word...well you get the idea. But, still, did the Heartless back in Traverse Town have to be so merciless?

Anyways, I see to be losing my mind. If I have a mind still!

The price I didn't want to pay as I mentioned earlier are my nightmares.

I don't know how, but I can sleep in this form. I found this out after Sora crashed the Gummi Ship into Deep Jungle, I believe that is the name of this world.

Anyways, the nightmares started happening after Goofy and Donald so ingeniously gave the controls over to Sora. Well, I take that back, the keybrat snatched them up. Yeah, I am gonna stick with calling Sora a keybrat, because of how clueless he acts with it and he just acts so rashly. I guess I shouldn't judge due to my previous actions.

I fainted due to the sheer impact of the collision into a tree house. Sora, if I can ever get my hands on you, you're in a world of hurt!

I suddenly had this vision, I guess, but I'll call them nightmares. Because, they are so freaking disturbing!

The nightmare started out like this. Master Xehanort, that old fart that showed up at my house, no my world. He was the same man we met prior to taking Ventus to the train station. Anyways, the old guy HURT my brother!

I don't know what he did to my brother, but my brother just looked out of it. He was wrapped in a sky blue blanket like he was a baby. Ven, fight this guy back!

Ventus looked out of it, I mean, he looked like he had no soul to his eyes. He just laid there while that old fart was about to leave.

Why I...oughta slay that...!

Nobody picks on my brother, but me!

Ventus for whatever reason just summoned his keyblade, Wayward Wind.

He shoots a ray of silver light up into the sky. My brother, are you faking?!

The old fart seems impressed and so takes my brother to another world via dark corridor. I still cannot use them, because I have no physical body and no darn, black coat! Plus, what would happen if I could call one up? Would I instantly vanish due to the sheer darkness contained in the Betwixt in Between or whatever it's called?

The nightmare then switches around to this young man. He appears greatly tanned and with medium-length silver hair and dressed in a black vest with matching boots and pants.

"This world-it's just too small!" the guy said in a voice that gives me goosebumps.

Somebody dressed in a brown-yellow cloak shows up, it appears to have a hunched back. It shows up and leads the boy into a corridor.

Everything then goes wild from there.

I meet a man, Terra? He introduces me to a busty woman, Aqua?

The two are introduced to me via an old man, Eraqus?

These are strange names, indeed.

Eh? No, I don't want to wake up! I don't want to fight anymore! Please go away!

"You have no choice, face your consequences, idiot!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It seems like my left hand is getting restless, my other hand is calm. The reason why I am mentioning this, because, after that thing woke me up forcefully. I had to battle a whole bunch of Heartless. I didn't even know they could even see me. What the heck?

The Heartless can see me, but regular people can't. I don't get it. What is Seth planning?

Uh, I can't take this anymore. My arms need to rest, I need to rest.

But, they just keep coming!

The Heartless roar and the monkeys surround me. I hate these red monkey heartless, they keep throwing bananas at me.

Plus, this stupid cat, Sabor keeps attacking. Apparently, after Sora defeated him, he became a Heartless.

He just keeps his claws dug into the tree branches before his two-legged, humanoid heartless form attacks me. I can't keep up. His dark green fur matches with the trees of this forest. I cannot see or think clearly.

I need to rest!

"r-rrrrrrrrrrrrrroAAAAAAAR!"

It screeches before pouncing at me. The talons of it come closer to me. I want to strike my keyblade at it, but it was knocked out of my hand by it's whip-like tail.

I always seem to have the bad luck handed to me. Now, I am starting to lose consciousness.

"I am sure one day, you'll save me! Ven!" the figure known as Terra says as he passes my brother and pulling his hand off of his shoulder.

The next image is of Seth, he's now at my side. "Did you seriously think that I would let you get away from me?!" he gives me another toothy grin, I hate him.

"W-What are you doing?!" I tend to shout. "Why can the Heartless see me?"

Seth smirks and just vanishes again, "I would think it would be obviously. They prey on hearts, yours in particular. So, just go with the flow and die like a good boy, okay?"

I hate this brat! I won't let this cheetah kill me. No, I won't let this Heartless kill me!

I can't die now. I need to find out what happened to my friends. I need to get back with Sora, Donald and Goofy. I need to not quit!

I cast a Fire at it. It knocks it out for a brief second and I have enough time to get my keyblade, which looks awfully a lot like Xia's Tsubaki.

I have no time to think and I strike Sabor the Cheetah. The heart pours out and lifts off into the sky. Memories come back, so many painful memories of what that cheetah did. That child killed a man's parents in the cold of night. The cheetah almost killed the baby, now a man. But, the man outsmarted the beast and...

I am now back at Sora's side. I am still upset about what's been happening to me. A lot of memories keep flooding bac.

A lot of them are pretty trivial, but I can't stop crying.

Ventus, I am sorry!

"No, you're not!"

Seth shows up via dark corridor. He keeps instigating me and I just want to show him my anger. But, that wouldn't solve anything, except prove his point about me.

People have always misunderstood me. I try to be tough, but I am just always depressed on the inside.

It's not something I like showing. When I was little, I was always the crybaby.

I would always go up to mom or the teachers sobbing, because some kids did some stupid stuff to me like flick boogers at me. I always cried about everything. It drove me to the point where I didn't want to cry anymore.

I chose not to show my feelings in front of anyone anymore. That just gave them the satisfaction of me being a baby.

Everybody from that day never looked at me the same way. When they tried flicking boogers at me, I would yell and get into a fight with them.

Ventus tried to stop me, my demeanor absolutely scared him. He asked me, "Why are you acting like this?! What happened to the Viento I always looked after."

I would scoff at his words and push him away.

I despise crying about how weak I was. I hate that I always expected people to baby me!

I thought, "Who needs them" mentality, but that just got me nowhere.

Everybody in my family hated me, except Ventus. I never took the chance to open up to him, but I always pushed him away.

Maybe, he gave up on me. I wouldn't blame him, because I'm a lost cause.

I scare people with how obsessive I get, even though I don't mean it.

That's something that Ventus tried to help me with.

Man, why do I keep crying!? It never solves anything, it never solves anything.

Except, show your enemies that you're a baby!


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28

~Wonderland~

Viento's POV

I really dislike this world. Who in their right mind actually chases a white rabbit only to end up falling down a hall, drinking a potion, and being in a world with talking flowers and animals. Maybe, I am going nuts, but they cannot see me.

Maybe, I am a ghost or maybe...

"Viento," my brother once said my name.

I knew he was going to be leaving on the train tomorrow. He hugged me and I was left speechless after he said the last words, "I love you!"

I was shocked, sure, Ven was my brother and he was supposed to love me. But, I always felt like he was only nice to me, because we were brothers and that I had the harder time of being the youngest and living in his shadow.

I hated him, but now I am just at a lost of words.

The day he left, he gave a good luck charm. He said, "It's made from sea shells and it's based off a star-shaped fruit that when two people eat it, they'll always be together."

I thought it sounded kinda sappy and still do, but...I miss my brother!

I still have the luck charm he gave me, even though the shells made of it are a little cracked now. I haven't treated with the best of respect, which I am sorry about.

If I ever saw Ventus again. I want to apologize.

It's probably too late and I probably can't talk to him in this form. A heart with no body, yet not a Heartless. What good would that do me?

Only the Heartless and Seth can see me. I still need to find my friends.

Ugh, the sun just rose and that silly, white rabbit just ran by us. "I'm late! I'm late! No time to say goodbye. I'm late! I'm late!" Gee, does that rabbit want to be in an opera. Yeah, bad joke, I know.

But, it seems we haven't encountered that smiling, Cheshire Cat again. Ugh, those Heartless that lurked in those flower petals were giving me a run for my money.

It also seems like that there is this plump hag dressed in black and red screaming, "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!"

Great, and she has some squirmy, little person by her side. It's probably her husband, poor guy.

The cards are gathering, well her card soldiers or whatever. All of them are now fighting Sora and company. Great, just what I need more strife.

Alice, who was in the bird cage being tried by the awful queen went missing. We are now looking for her.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 29

~A-choo~

Viento's POV

_I don't know what to write today. Nothing, so far, interesting has happened. I've just been having headaches and colds nonstop. I am still searching my dreams for Xia and Suello, so far nothing!_

Where or when are they?

Are they okay?

Uh, so many questions that can never be answered, at least for right now.

It's windy and the inside of this person's house, which I found out was the white rabbit's; is drafty. I mean, for a big house, you'd think he would have at least some sort of air conditioning system, but NO.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy have each other, but I'm stuck out in the cold. I mean, don't think that I am creepy or anything, because I'm not.

I just miss my friends!

At least, I snuck a blanket away from Donald, well at least his cape anyways. Seriously, what does a duck mage need with a cape?

I guess I am asking stupid questions to myself again. But, it gets aggravating having nobody around. I thought I would be happy, especially since Seth hasn't been around. But, I'm miserable!

Won't somebody just talk to me. ACCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO!

Man, there isn't anybody around to say, "Bless you."

No tissues and my eyes feel heavy. I think some sleep might help or maybe I should go looking around for some potions. Hopefully, they won't go through my hands this time.

Ugh! Not again.

Can somebody tell those lizard and dodo to be quiet?

Sora and company are waking up. I need to get! Oh wait, what am I thinking? They can't see me.

I just facepalmed myself, Ouch.

I seriously hate times like this. The queen's heart is still missing and who knew Wonderland was such a big place. The queen is still searching for her heart and Alice, the supposed culprit.

It just seems like everything is going nowhere right now. I should be thankful, but I wish Seth, Xia or Suello would show up. Anybody is better than nobody. And, if I could say it; I would, "I'm sorry my friends for causing you so much grief!"


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 30

~Memories of Me~

_I stand on the rock cliff, everything will eventually go away. I will jump! Nobody is here to stop me!_

_Still, I am only just going to wake up. So, there is no point in jumping. Since, it will do me no serious harm. Some way, I am going to get my body back. Seth won't stop me! Selfish or not, I won't to regain myself._

_People are mad, because I brought something to school. I don't want to get into the details, but the principal was called. He had the cops escort me out, how annoying! _

_Ventus later smacked me across the face. Ven, why him of all people?! Perhaps, I shouldn't have been stupid of bringing my keyblade to school. No wonder everyone got scared. I don't regret my actions._

_How did I get this demented?_

_It was the only time I got to see my father smile. He and mom held hands for the first time and even kissed. It made me want to upchuck, but it made Ventus coo in adoration. I'll never get adults! But, at least, it beats getting into trouble._

_No yelling, just laughing. Nothing, but pure bliss. I'm happy! I'm so glad that I can feel my lips can't stretch any further up. I always have a way of looking at things grimly._

_It was the first day that I meant them. Dad wasn't expecting Sven and his family to show up. I got to meet Xia, Xen, and a green-haired kid named Suello. Unusual names, I have to admit. Who am I to criticize? Ventus and my name, Viento, both mean wind in both Latin and Spanish. Gee, Ventus's wind-swept hair is really out of fashion. Why does he have Xia cooing after him? So overrated!_

_I've been having these dreams so much, I cannot wake up. I worry about losing myself, but I keep fighting. I cannot quit! Only losers quit and I cannot afford to lose myself, well anymore bits of my being. Seth has already reduced me to a shell of my former self._

_I feel less than half a person. "I can tell we look as different as can be, but we're the same as can be. There's no need to feud and fuss when it really isn't us." Those words stick out in my head, thanks to Ventus and mom. They, especially Ventus was always happy and never saw anybody as a lost cause._

"_Ventus...I need to ask you something," I said to my brother as we both watched the sunset from the cliff near our house. The seagulls cried as they flew overhead. The sunset cast an orange tint around everything, including, the rocky earth we stood on._

"_Yeah," he said to me as he gave me a piece of ice cream. Sea salt, I think it was called. Boy, it tastes salty, but sweet. I cannot stand the taste of it, I guess I am more of a vanilla fan than a sea-salt fan. I will never get my brother's odd taste. Why does he only like sea salt ice cream out of everyone in our family?_

"_Are you just going to stand there and look at me, Vi?" my brother said as he bit into his sea salt ice cream. He made a face, but then went back to eating the syrupy sourness._

"_Yeah, I mean, no…." I said shaking my head and my brother just chuckled and ruffled my head._

"_Ugh, do you have to do that?" I demanded as I swiped my hand at him._

"_Of course, I do, zombie. You were just staring into nowhere, it was unsettling. And, besides, you're my brother," he replied as he took his seat back on the orange boulder he had sat cross-legged on._

"_So, what did you want to speak about?" he asked._

_I felt the butterflies in my tummy. Don't judge me, I was only six. "I just wanted to say I am sorry for summoning my keyblade in front of everyone, big brother," I said feeling my head starting to heat up like a sauna again._

_Ventus's smile disappeared within an instant. "You know…." he said._

"_Yeah, I know I should not have made it appear. I was just mad!" I admitted._

_Ventus sighed and hugged me, "I'm sorry that those bullies harrassed you, but that's still no excuse to…"_

"_Shut up!" I shouted and ran away._

_I was mad. Why was my brother always taking everyone else's side, except mine? I wanted those bullies to pay for making me look like an idiot. Was that so much to ask for? I wanted to be tough just like my big brother!_

"_Being brave, doesn't mean you aren't scared," my brother had once said as he knocked one of the bullies out with his fist._

_I smiled at him and said, "What does it mean then?"_

_I was scared when those bullies came, but I still fought them off. Why should I get into trouble? I thought if I showed I was brave, my brother would be happy. No, it turns out I was dead wrong!_

_Life and bullies aren't fair. Why pick on the small guy? You try fighting for yourself, you get in trouble. I don't care what Ventus said I wasn't 'showing off'._

I am finally awake again. Sora has finally found Alice and the monster. Ugly thing! Why does it have to breathe fire? I am glad that the keybrat was able to distract him. I would have been heart soup just back there. We finally left, but still found no trace of Alice. How can she just disappear like that?

We are now headed to some place called Agrabah. Interesting name, I hope it isn't going to be hot like Wonderland was. No, who am I kidding?! It's ten no a thousand times worse!

This red hoodie and these puffy shorts aren't helping. I am getting sand in my shoes and this sand storm is irritating. Now, we're starting to fight basket Heartless. How in the world, no nevermind, I'll save my questions for a later time. 


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 31

~The Devious Duo~

_Flashback_

_Viento's POV_

"_You a keyblade master? Don't make me laugh."_

"_Hey, shut up, Ventus. I can so be a keyblade master. Besides, I've been training a thousand times more than you."_

"_Sure, whatever, but I have been training a million times more than you."_

"_Have not!_

"_Have too!" _

"_Well, I'll train an infinity more than you, Ven-nii-san."_

"_I'd like to see you try, squirt!"_

_My brother poked my forehead with his index finger and I fell over. "Uh, no fair, now I have to gather all the firewood dad ordered me to get again!"_

_Ventus chucked, "Well, you shouldn't have fought a battle that you knew you couldn't win, squirt."_

"_Don't call me squirt! And, one day, I will be a keyblade master before you," I replied as my brother stacked the firewood together and handed them back to me._

"_I'd like to see you try," Ventus said with a sarcastic grin and then a beeping sound went off on his wristband, yeah, he had a watch tucked underneath there. Why? I'll never understand my brother's fashion sense or lack there of. He patted me on the head and ruffled my hair, "I'll see you later, big brother, so we can spar. If I don't hurry for dad's special lesson with Master Xehanort, he's gonna kill me!"_

_I dropped my firewood and had to pick them all up again as Ventus was now out of sight. "Ugh, why do these have to be so heavy?!"_

_I smacked the rubber ball against the wall with Begetter. Things are just kinda down now. I don't know why, but there's nobody to pick on since Ven left. I tried picking on Uncle Boris, grandma, and Uncle Jasper, they are really slow and dimwitted, but my parents grounded me. Apparently, Jasper's daughter, Arlene came to visit._

_Gee, who knew I had a cousin? Sarcasm aside, I actually have two of them, Lumaria and Arlene. Those two are a bunch of sneaks, I can't stand them!_

_If they hadn't interfered than I wouldn't get busted every freaking time!_

_Stupid Arlene!_

_Stupid Lumaria!_

_What type of names are those anyways? One's old fashioned and one sounds really, really sissy. "Uf, hey!"_

"_Make way shrimp, I'm coming through," Larxene, no Arlene grumbled as she nearly ran me over with her roll with wheels of wardrobe. Don't ask she's really, really arrogant. Luckily, "she isn't the brightest of stars in the sky. If you catch my drift."_

"_Hey, I heard that!" Arlene (Larxene's somebody's name, according to me and Lumaria is Marluxia's). I should really stop talking to myself, especially out loud where people can hear me._

_Why am I such an idiot?!_

_Arlene dressed me up in her goofy outfits today. Uh, that witch, she's gonna pay!_

_Uncle Jasper and Uncle Boris and even mom, dad and grandma take those snitches' sides._

_I am stuck picking up something accustomed to, 'bleigh'. Now, I have to re-clean the bathroom tub, because grandma's worker is coming over to give her a sponge bath. I don't want to picture that!_

_Lumaria, why did you have to do your chemistry experiment in the only bathroom on the third floor!? The stairs are grueling and you should be the one picking up after your mess. No! Everybody says you're too perfect along with Arlene, that you can do no wrong. Yeah right!_


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 32

~Gone~  
Suello's POV

Nobody likes being the only person around, nobody likes being taken away from their friend.

I feel so frustrated right now, but I can only keep running. No matter what, I am bringing Xia and Vi back. I swear it!

It all started when I went to a new world or rather crashed into a new world. Ugh, I still have sand in parts I'd rather not specify. I hate the sand, it got all in my shoes and the sand storm ruined my outfit.

I know, I sound like a girl, but you would be whining to if you went through the heck I've been through. I feel like I just keep getting obsessed with every little mirage. I think I see Xia or Vi over there, but it just turns out to be a cactus, which stings! Ouch!

I hate the desert and sometimes, I wish I hadn't lost my friends. I hate being alone! My friends don't owe me, I owe them. I'm sorry that I harassed Vi for all those previous years. Losing your brother and your family is never easy and I found this out through my fight with Xen.

He cried, "Do you have any idea what it's like?"

"What are you talking about, Vi?"

"Don't call me that! It's Xen!"

"You're still Viento to me!"

"Shut up!"

Our blades clashed and a flashback hit me like a ton of bricks. Vi was sitting through crying in a rather dimly lit room. He screamed, "FATHER, MOTHER, WHY?!"

I felt my stomach knot up and Xen got the drop on me. The next thing I knew I was here and riding on the back of this ostrich-furry creature and this reptile girl.

Ten years later

Viento's POV

The days were full of nothing, but dread and bliss. The small camp settled amongst the lush, green, tropical forest sat idly by. A certain, wild man went off with a certain professor's daughter and Sora, Donald, Goofy and I were bored out of our minds.

I decided to tread inside that tent. That slide of Jane's interested in me, the one of what I learnt was called Hollow Bastion. It sent shivers down my spine. Why?

I had never been to that strange place before, have I? I remember two, chubby faces. Tears stream down my face, "Iz...Eli, are you okay?"

It had been a struggle when Sora and I returned back to Traverse Town. I wanted answers. What was Hollow Bastion? What happened to Iz and Eli? How would I accomplish such a feat in this state that I was in? One way or another, I was going to get answers about everything! One way or another!


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 33

~Heartless Invasion~

Viento's POV

I feel like this is an invasion of privacy, but I NEED answers. Leon is training in the sewer, the sewer of all places. Really?

I float towards him and he just swings his gunblade back and forth like he's chopping wood or something. He does seem to see me and he freaks out. His sword is now beside him in the dirt and the pistol-part of the blade went off. Luckily, it went through me. Gotta love being a ghost for stuff like that, right?

"What are you?!" he says as he picks up his gunblade ready to strike, but all his attempts just go through me like butter through Swiss Cheese. Maybe, that's a bad idiom. You get the point, right? He doesn't hit me, because they go straight through me.

I am surprise that he can see me finally. How that is, I don't know. All I know is that I need answers. "Leon, what are you doing here?" I demanded in the most hostile, ghostly voice I could muster.

"W-Who are you?" he demands in return.

"That doesn't matter right now," I reply still trying to sound ghostly, which I fail badly at.

Before he can remember me, I go straight through him like scissors through paper. The sheer memories make me want to pass out, but I keep going through him. I NEED answers to what happened while I was gone.

I see a small boy, possibly Leon crying in front of two graves. "Mommy, daddy, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from the Heawtwess."

It pains my heart, but I 'skip' through that memory like a remote with a dvd player.

He and the other kids I met are with Cid on his airship. I forgot what it was called. A meteorite crashes into them and the airlock opens and...Cloud Strife goes through it. Yuffie tries grabbing a hold of him, but it's too late. He's now lost to the vacuum of space, not dead, though, thankfully.

The next memory I see is of an evil witch, M-A-L-E-F-I-C-E-N-T. She is talking with a distraught Pete, who now wants revenge for the deaths of his two kids, PJ and Pistol. I feel my heart skip a beat and Maleficent feeds into Pete's anger and he agrees to work beside her for the sake of his two kids. Leon is squirming in the grasp of a large, fat Heartless.

He listens to the whole conversation and he watches the witch kill his parents. I can't take anymore of this. It's just like my folks!

I phase out of Leon. More questions are raised than ever before. What did I just do?

Leon mutters my name and I am forced back to Sora and company's sides.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 34

~No More Nightmares~

(My friend has strep throat and so does her family. I think I might be sick as well).

Viento's POV

That man, no that monster! How could he? How could Xehanort!?

I want this to be a nightmare, but it's not. I am just sitting up all night crying. My nightmares keep getting worst and worst. My heart is about to break and Sora and Donald and Goofy are doing nothing, but arguing.

I just want to tell them to, "SHUT UP!"

I wish I wasn't here. I wish I wasn't in this circumstance.

Sora reminds me a lot of Ventus, his goofy demeanor. His accidental nature, they are exactly like Ven's.

"No more tears, soar them into the sky. And, let the rain fall. Hehehahahe."

My brother's lullaby sticks to my heart. I cannot let go.

"Left right, heart to heart, we all fall down, like toy soldiers. But, we keep getting up. There's no rest for toy soldiers."

His lullaby keeps beeping in my mind. I am supposed to set an example, even though there is nobody around. There's only me.

"Even though, the battle is won, the fighting is never over. Rest your weary head and sleep now, brave, little soldier. You deserve it most. It's all a dream~"

My heart is breaking, but I cannot scream.

"I won't sacrifice none of my people, because I will give myself. I will my heart and soul to protect you~"

Sora is now fast asleep, next to Goofy's snoring. Donald's just paddling his feet up and down the motel, while Leon and them keep guard.

"So far, don't catch the tears. They just need to fall. Sit and sleep and wish for all the bad to be away!~"

I float out into the balcony and gaze up to the many stars glittering above. So many worlds, so many people, why did I have to get stuck with these folk? Why did I have to get separated from my friends? Would it matter if I found them? Would Suello sock me for all the trouble I caused him and Xia? I would not blame him one bit if he did.


	36. Chapter 36

_**I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of Eminem and Martika's songs. All credit goes to those artists and Tetsuya Nomura. I only own Marina and Ventus.**_

**Chapter 35**

**~Brilliant Changes~**

_No more tears._  
_Soar them into the sky._  
_And, let the rain fall._

_Left right, heart to heart, we all fall down._  
_Like toy soldiers._  
_But, we keep getting up._  
_There's no rest for us, toy soldiers._

_Even though, the battle is won._  
_The fighting is never over._  
_Rest your weary head and sleep, brave, little soldier._  
_You deserve it most._

_It's all a dream._

_I won't sacrifice none of my people._  
_Because, I'll give myself._  
_I will protect you with my heart and soul._

_So far, don't catch the tears._  
_They just need to fall._  
_Sit and sleep and wish for a better tomorrow, brave, little soldier. _

(Inspired by Eminem and Martika's Like Toy Soldiers, Toy Soldiers and Mockingbird).

Viento's POV

Sora and the others just up and left me behind. Well, I guess I can't say they left me behind, because they don't even know me. Heck, they don't even know that I was traveling with them. Aerith is starting to see me along with Leon.

"HEY, THERE'S THE GHOST!" Oh boy, I better scram, because Yuffie is chasing around with her weapons. For a little girl, she has sure improved.

Tifa isn't around, that's good.

"Hiyah!" Oh boy, not again. Her fist comes crashing between a brick wall and me. She's flinching in pain now as bricks are scattered everywhere. Whose going to clean up this mess?

~~~~~~~~~~~

I managed to outrun them for now, but I came in for a bigger problem, Julius. Julius is this giant, Pete-look-alike, except he wears a medium blue jumpsuit. He keeps running everywhere and I keep knocking into him, well going through, whatever!

Why do I have to face these shenanigans?!


	37. Chapter 37

_**I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of Eminem and Martika's songs. All credit goes to those artists and Tetsuya Nomura. I only own Marina and Ventus. Or, any Disney characters.**_

**Chapter 36**

~A Lost Friend~

Viento's POV

We are now in some place called Halloweentown. This turnip head fellow in a black suit showed up, he was really slender. Maybe, Slenderman, but creepypasta asides. He was nothing like the faceless spidery phantom.

This guy just like to dance and sing. I also saw three brats, one in a devil costume, one in a skeleton costume and one in a witch's costume. They all threw pumpkins at the wall and several explosions went off. Annoying brats! I hope they don't-

"Uh!"

"Gotcha mister," I am now translucent, but still Sora, Donald and Goofy cannot see me. Maybe, it's this world, maybe, it's the people I have met, but...

HOW CAN THESE FREAKING BRATS BLAST ME LIKE THAT?!

I nearly crashed into a tombstone. Stupid, STUPID, stupid! Where are these kids' parents? And, if so, where are their spankings?

If I did something like this, my dad would have had my hide. Kids, these days, I suppose!

~~~  
12 am passed, Sora and Donald and Goofy were invited to Skeleton Jack, turnip-head's name. Please, stop calling him turnip-head, blondie!

"I know, but don't be rude!"

"What? They can't hear or see us, so who is there to be rude too?"

I facepalm myself, "Ouch!"

"Way to go, Viento, way to go!"

"Hey, you started it."

"Don't you mean I started it."

Ugh, now I am confused! Why am I talking to myself? Oh yes, because I have no one other than those brats that want to blow me to the moon or those guys that want my head on a silver platter for 'invading' their silly, little Leonhart Squall. Either way, I have no one to talk too, except myself. Myself is the only one not giving me a headache, at least not for now.

What, why? His head is shaped like one.

"Just don't, okay! Do you want to be blast to smithereens by those blasting brats?"

NO! But, still I would just go through everything.

"Just don't, okay?"

OKAY! But, where am I going to sleep?

"In the attic..."

NICE ONE, PSYCHE!

DREAM

I see a figure, maybe it's Suello and Xia.

Yes, it's them!

"Guys, guys! It's me!"

They see me, but then their laughing faces turn into scowls. "Traitor," Xia mutters before she fades to the darkness of the dream.

"How could you do that? We had faith in you and you let us down," Suello says as he approaches me.

He is fading and is becoming solid both at the same times. "Suello, what are you talking about? I have been searching for you guys! Where are you?"

"None of your business! We don't want to be found, especially not by you!" Suello replies as he punches square in the face. Everything flashes cloudy white, but I still see him through the ghostly fog.

"What do you mean?!" I demand.

He laughs as he shows me his...his...chest cavity. His heart, his heart, it's gone! What the heck?!

"How did that happen?! Why are you showing me this?"

Suello laughs, "Isn't it obvious? You claimed my body for yourself and left me in the dark. Xia had to sacrifice herself to save your pathetic butt, but that wasn't good enough for y-"

I cannot hear Suello's hurtful words anymore.

What is he saying? Suello, what did I-no Xen do?

Answer me! I am not ready to wake up!


	38. Chapter 38

_**I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of Eminem and Martika's songs. All credit goes to those artists and Tetsuya Nomura. I only own Marina and Ventus. Or, any Disney characters.**_

**Chapter 37**

~A Lost Hope~

~Lost~

~I am alone. In this narrow path, nobody can save me. Why did I have to bring myself here?

I am lost. I am in the middle of a horror flick, nobody can save me. Why did I not listen to my friends?

No one would miss me, nothing good comes from me. Please, won't you say farewell to me?! Please!

I am not worth losing sleep over. It's not hard to see, why I have given on me? I don't need hope and I don't value myself.

Whatever happened to me?~

Viento's POV

The song keeps repeating itself. That horrific song never shuts up! I want to pull my hair out. I want to scream. I feel guilty, but there was nothing I could have done to save them.

Is there?

Flashes come to me. Suello is out in the middle of the desert, walking for miles without water. He collapses, my heart skips a flutter.

I want to step in, but I can't. This image keeps me back.

"Vi, I will save you! I promise!"

He keeps trudging through the endless desert with the blaring sun on his back. The sweat of his brow keeps him company. He is brave!

Another image flashes in front of me. This one of Xia. She is sad. Tsubaki seems trembling in her hand. I can feel it's pain. What did I do?

"Don't make me do this, father? Let Viento and Xen go!"

The dark creature has it's talons pierced into the brickwork of the buildings of the Third District. It runs at her, but she keeps it back with her crying Tsubaik.

Why won't I wake up?

~A Note in My left hand and I cannot seem to say goodbye. The horror, the horror... Why can't I just die and stay dead?~

~It's not fair! Nothing is, especially in this hellish life. If that makes any sesnse. I expect you not to pity me.~

~Goodbye for now, goodbye for good. I hope~

~It's not hard to see, why I haven't given up? I just don't need hope. Nothing will kill me, it seems.~

~Is this really me speaking?~

~Please, end my suffering, Sora~

That song keeps repeating over and over again. I want it to stop, just this once. I cannot die yet, I have my friends to worry about.

I cannot fade here, I refuse to lose! I refuse to lose to a stupid dream!

I need to wake up! Please, pinch me! Somebody, please, help!

~This rope is getting really heavy. I cannot breath anymore.~

~Please, let me go! Onegai! Please! I don't want to live~

I can live, I just need hope. I don't need Sora, I have to save myself.

~Please, don't make this more difficult than it is. You can't stop this!~

Yes, I can.

~Death and destruction are the only things that await you. I wanted to live, but I have given up. Please, don't make this anymore difficult.~

I don't need you, telling me that I cannot struggle anymore. I have to keep having hope.

~This life is just hopeless. Why not just quit? Don't you value this knife?~

Not as much as I do my life.

~Life of isolation is all that awaits you. Why not end it all?~

How can I end it all? My friends need me!

~They were just illusions. Illusions that convey the truth, nobody wants you.~

You sure are cheery, inner me.

~I am not you! I never was you.~

Then, who are you?

~A shadow of a boy that used to be. Don't make this end this way? I never wanted to live. So, please make up your mind.~

I have made up my mind.

~No, I meant make another choice. Why do you want to continue with this dream?~

I need to find the truth.

~You won't find the truth by seeking lies.~

Who says they are lies? This is my heart after all.

~I am speechless, but I will continue to endure.~

Who are you exactly?

~A shadow of a former boy you used to be...~

Well, you aren't me anymore.

~Correct I am not! However...~

Something phases through me, so many memories; so many agonizing memories. Why did I have to such a jerk? Why?

I just slapped myself and now I hope to wake up.

STOP! PLEASE, STOP!


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 38

~Funeral~

The rain poured and pelted the face of a young boy. He cried and cried, but the tears mingled with the rain. "Mother, father, Ran, I'm sorry," he said as he placed a pair of dead roses on each of their graves. He walked away with a dreary expression on his face. Suello smiled as he looked up to the heavens. Perhaps, his parents and brother were looking down on him.

Suello headed back to the limo and met up with his foster mother, who now called Ri. They drove off.

Viento's POV

Another memory...another memory of Suello's? What's going on with me?! I could feel his pain. I could feel his tears. Seeing your loved ones like that and thinking they are in a better place. It may be comforting, but is that really true? I know I have no possible way of knowing.

I can't delude myself with thoughts that my parents are in a better place or are in a tormenting place. My parents lived their lives and that's all I can say for them. Once you're gone, you're gone! There's NO coming back! Never!

Why am I getting upset for? My brother would be happy that I no longer have those demons tormenting me. Who cares! Who FREAKING cares!

My dad and my mom's gone and Ventus wasn't here to see them. Ventus wasn't there to see to stop their murderers. Ventus did nothing! Stupid Ventus!

I hate him! I hate my brother! If he smiled at our parents' funeral, I would have screamed. Maybe, I am getting over-emotional. But, hey, I am expressing myself now! What's wrong with blowing a fuse?!

I'm alone! I'm so alone! Where are Xia and Suello? Why do I have to bear their agony? It's not fair! It's NOT fair!

I pound my fist into the mural of a princess. I know it's a princess, because it's Snow White. Snow White was one of the Seven Princesses of Light and somebody else I couldn't save!

WHY?!

I am so sad, there's nobody to help me grieve. Why do I need to be grieve? Why do I need to be happy? Why?

They are gone, and nobody comes back!

I pound my fists harder and harder on the surface of the mural, hoping it would break. Nothing happens. Somebody's laughing at me, maybe it's father. But, I must not delude myself in that he and my mom live on.

Everybody's GONE, because of me!


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 39

~Insanity~

Viento's POV

~Insanely looking for a way out.~  
~Sanely crying out.~

~Time to make my exit from this fairytale!~  
~Farewell~

I keep singing this song to myself. The air or lack of air is suffocating, but I cannot feel or breath anyways.

~I don't know who I am anymore.~  
~Psychotic, am I?~

~Light and darkness intermingle.~  
~Darkness consumes the light.~  
~Farewell~

~You won't ever hear from me again~  
~Exactly, stay the same as you are.~

~I don't know who I am anymore.~  
~Is this all a dream?~  
~Is this all a nightmare?~  
~Is this all a fantasy?~

~What am I talking about?~

The lyrics come naturally to my tongue, there's nobody to enjoy them, but me. It's probably best that I am alone. I see a light and I swim towards it. My eyes are blinded by it, but I endure going through it. The air is now breathable again.

I am now back by Sora's side.

~The Corruption has not taken me~


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 40

~Nothing Last Forever~

The blinding light brought me back to Sora's heart. Several memories flashed by, including of his friends he was looking for; Kairi and Riku. Kairi was a girl with peach skin and short, strawberry-blonde hair. She wore a pink and purple blouse and skirt that matched her sneakers. Riku was the completecomplete opposite. He was the tallest out of the three and despite growing up on a sunny beach, he was as pale as a ghost. He had stunning turquoise eyes that seemed as majestic as the sea itself. He wore a flashy yellow, sleeveless shirt with dark blue jeans and matching yellow and black sleeveless gloves and shoes.

Why was Sora on this quest to begin with? Sure, the brunette was looking for his friends just as Viento himself was. But, what brought him on this journey? Viento knew it wouldn't be anything short like a quest. Heck, his own thoughts on his quest to find his parents' killers still hadn't been resolved yet, although the keyblade apprentice had an idea of who it was.

Viento pried around in Sora's heart, throwing flicker after flicker around. The flickers were small photos that seemed to play important events from Sora's birth, to Sora meeting his mother and his father for the first time, to him meeting Riku at preschool and so on. But, there were so many trivial memories to dig through. Viento didn't have time to find out what Sora wished for his eighth birthday or his goldfish being flushed down the toilet or what Sora brought to 'Show and Tell' during kindergarten. He looked through almost all of the memories of the fourteen-year-old boy's heart. Nothing, absolutely, nothing...

There was one memory that he got his hands on though. This memory was brighter and more elaborate than the other memories. It contained two people, Riku and Kairi.

"The door is open, Sora!"

"Huh, what door? Riku, where's Kairi?!"

Riku just ignored his best friend's question as the silver-haired, pale child reached out a gloved hand to the brunette. Sora was too scared to move, he felt nothing, but pure terror. What was this thing sucking him and his friend in? Why were these dark, little things attacking his island? What was that bright, reddish-black orb overhead seemingly sucking up his world bit by bit? Where was Kairi? And, did Riku lose his sanity?

"Riku, we need to get out of here! Please, get Kairi and let's head back to the mainland. C'mon! C'mon!" Sora pleaded, but his hand couldn't reach the silent, stubborn teen. He did briefly grab Riku's hand and the two were submerged within the darkness. The darkness that Viento knew all too well as it had brought him to this situation to begin with.

A bright light enveloped the brunette and he was back on the island, his island. He saw no trace of Riku, but the brunette still needed to find his other friend, Kairi. Perhaps, she could have some sense talked into her and they could go back and warn everyone what was going on. Nobody would believe them, not till the creatures and the giant light reached their homes and towns. Sora couldn't think of Riku or the others right now. What about Kairi?

He ran around the island, those, small things glided underfoot. Sora kept them away with his new, strange weapon. "The Keyblade-" a voice muttered. Viento recognized this voice, it was his brother's.

Viento kept peeking. He needed answers about how this journey started, perhaps it would end his own journey.

There was a white, elegant door right in front of a cave. Sora gasped, but he raced through it as the things followed him in. The creatures stopped and Sora was faced with his best friend, "Kairi?!"

Sora didn't have time to interact with her. The big, wooden door behind her slammed open and blew her straight towards him. He attempted to catch her, but she was like a ghost. She just went straight through him and vanished.

Sora cried and ran out of the cave. The things would pay! The things were destroying his island and his friends. They would dearly pay!

Sora didn't have any time to get back to the main land to warn the others, to save the raft, or his best friends. He was lost, but he wouldn't let these things win. Not by a long shot!

Everything suddenly burst and the island, his world was reduced to nothing, but swirling chunks of land and a giant creature overhead. The creature looked so similar to the monstermonster from his nightmare. This whole situation seemed so similar to his nightmare. Sora fought this creature. It was a nasty customer!

He managed to beat the creature, but it didn't end the mess. He pierced the chunk of land with his new weapon, hoping not to get sucked in. However, he flew right into it. The next thing he knew, he felt something warm rub against his face. Sora's bubbly blue eyes opened and there in front of him was PLUTO! Viento gasped, "Pluto?"

Viento kept diving into the memory. He watched as Sora was guided by the dog into the first district of Traverse Town.

Viento continued to pry and pry. He was completely torn out from the memory. "Ugh" he groaned as he hit his butt on the stainglass mural of Princess Alice.

Wait, Alice was a princess? What was this place? What was going on?

Viento broke down into tears and called forth a portal, but nothing came. He sighed, "I guess, there's no use getting out of this place. Huh?"

Viento closed his eyes and for a brief second, he thought he saw Ventus's face. Ventus wasn't alone. He was with two other figures, he didn't recall meeting. These figures, one was a busty woman with short, aqua-blue hair and matching eyes, 'armor' and 'boots'. Well, that's what Viento thought he saw. The other guy looked very muscular, almost like he was in his twenties, but Viento had the feeling that this man was just in his late teens.

The two smiled along with Ventus. Ventus spoke and held his brother's hands. "Ven? I'm sorry!"

Ventus smiled and hugged his brother, "It's okay!"


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 41

~Travels~

The young boy, Sora explored around the new town with the luck or bad luck of the strange, cartoonish dog he had just ran into named Pluto. Sora had asked the dog, "Do you know where we are?" But, the dog just nodded and ran off leaving the bewildered chestnut haired boy alone in the alleyway.

"Pay up or get out," a loud voice roared as Sora entered the 'Item Shop'. It was a quaint, little shop with a lean, black sofa in the center with a brick fireplace and a display case on opposite ends of the coach. There was also a green desk that the man, Sora came to know as Cid ran. Cid was an old, blonde-haired man with a five o'clock shadow and a bitter personality to match. He wore a long, sleeve white shirt with blue bell-bottoms and the shirt was decorated by a clock. And, Cid also wore a chain around his neck.

"Hey, are you here to shop or do I have to kick you out?"

Sora approached the desk and emptied his pockets. All that came out was just the usual trading cards, lint, fish, mushrooms, a bottle of water, and other knickknacks that he was going to use on his travels with Kairi and Riku aboard Excalibur. Excalibur was the name Sora had chosen after he had beaten Riku at racing on the beach the previous day prior the island's invasion.

"I have little use for fish, kid!" Cid grumbled. "And, I see you have no munny on you. So, LEAVE!"

"Hold on, a second, sir, I am sure I have something," Sora said as he continued to search his pockets, but no cash was to be found.

"This isn't funny, kid!" Cid said as I went from behind his long, angular, green desk and approached Sora. He grabbed the boy and threw him out the front door. Sora was now back to square one. Where was he? Who could he talk too? Would anybody give him the answers he needed to find his friends and return home?

Sora wondered around town for a bit. He ran into a boy that was sobbing and wondering where his parents were. He also ran into a Moogle, a type of creature resembling a stuffed animal. Sora huffed and continued to search the place that he learned to call the First District. It was the only safe zone for all the people like him that had arrived here in this strange town from other worlds.

"I saw some weird fellas walk by earlier," the boy that Sora had ran into earlier crying for his parents said.

"Huh?" Sora said, but the boy didn't give him any further answers, so the newly born Keyblade Hero was left to search on his own.

Sora ran into another shop. This one wasn't ran by an embittered, middle-aged blonde man. No, this one was ran by three ducklings. Sora approached each of them. The white duck in the green shirt and cap said, "I'm in charge of keepin' this place clean, now my bedroom. That's tougher!"

Sora approached the duck in blue, but he said as he noticed the smile on Sora's face, "Just because, we're kids, doesn't mean we can't run a shop."

Sora finally came to the duck that sat on the desk. The duck wore a red shirt with a matching, red cap. All the duck quacked about was selling stuff. One went on about his bedroom and how it was always messy and how his Uncle Donald always quacked at him for it. The other kept insulting Sora, because the boy kept giving him 'strange' looks. Sora finally had enough and ran out the door up the stairs to the First District.

Sora ran into the Second District. This place unlike the other gates read, "Closed Off", but Sora ignored the warning. He opened the gates and found somebody running. It was a man. Somebody that could have passed for a sale's clerk, but probably not. The man fell to the ground with a terrified look on his face as something shoot up from his chest. Sora's eyes widened as the man's body disappeared and the thing that escaped out his chest, his heart turned into a strange creature. The strange creature then disappeared.

"It's those things from the island!" Sora shouted as he was suddenly surrounded by those strange, black things again. He clutched tightly onto his keyblade with each move coming to him naturally. The keyblade struck each creature with a powerful blow. It knocked, it slammed, it hit, it banished them from whence they came...back into the darkness.

Viento had to admit that Sora was good with the keyblade as he continued to watch the show progress. Ventus just faded away earlier along with his two friends, "Terra, Aqua?" The names sounded strange on his tongue, but they felt normal to him through his heart. It was like he knew them. But, he had never met these two before, right?

Viento couldn't remember. He turned to the screen and pressed it. Viento was engulfed in a brilliant light that had consumed the man. He was now next to Sora like a shadow. A shadow that could never leave the boy's side. "What's going on? Wasn't I just watching this scene from Sora's memory?" Viento asked, but he got no reply.

Donald and Goofy searched up and down for Sora. They couldn't find him. Sora returned to the First District, but to his dismay the creatures from the island had followed into the First District. All the people fled, the boy, the Moogle, the woman, everybody! Were they like the man that Sora just witnessed. No, they probably fled.

"They'll come after you!"

"Wait, huh? Who are you?" Sora turned to look and he and Viento saw LEON.

Leon attacked and managed to knock Sora with only a few blows. Sora dragged the kid back to a strange house. "Hey, it looks like things are worst. A lot worst than we thought," Leon said as he glanced down to the small child below him.

"C'mon, lazy bum! Wake up!"

"The creatures that attacked you prior were after the keyblade."

"Kairi? Who are you talking about? I am the great ninja, Yuffie."

"The keyblade."

"The keyblade?" Sora said glancing at the weapon in his hands. The same name that the voice had mentioned. The name that Ventus had said. Wait, Sora could see the voice, no. No, the voice wasn't Ventus.

"The darkness in people's hearts. They changed our worlds."

"Ansem?"

"He was studying the Heartless and reported them in his notebook. But, his research was scattered."

Viento kept switching back and forth between Goofy and Sora's points of views. Whoever did this needed to stop. Body snatching was making Viento sick as a dog.

Viento watched from above as Sora, Donald and Goofy took out the Guard Armor. He was impressed and soon he was dragged back into the darkness. What was going on? What was happening? Somebody stop this, whatever it is.


	43. Chapter 43

I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It's been awhile since I last updated.

Chapter 42

~Crutches~

"Home is where the heart is."

_The_ young boy stared up into the sheer, brilliant light that stood above the stain-glass platform. Viento glanced down. Four faces instantly appeared. "Xen, Sven, father and…"

Flashback

Two boys raced inside a building. Their mother, Marina shouted, "Ven, Viento, stop horsing around!"

Ventus was the first to stop and his younger brother slid into him, both of them were knocked to the floor. Marina rolled her eyes and offered her two sons each a hand, "I told you two to not run in the building."

Viento pouted as Ventus giggled, but they were both reprimanded by their mother.

"Mommy, why couldn't daddy come?" Viento asked.

"Don't be slow, Vi, daddy said he couldn't come, because he had training to do. You know that, doody-head," Ventus replied.

"VENTUS," Marina said and the boy instantly changed his tune. "Yes mom?"

"Apologize to your brother, IMMEDIATELY," Marina demanded.

"Yes mommy," Ventus replied as he turned to his younger brother and bowed his head. His bright blonde bangs drifted to the sides of his chubby, round face. "I...am...sorry," Ventus said in a barely hearable whisper.

"SAY IT LOUDER!"

Ventus sighed and looked his brother square in the eye, "I'm sorry for calling you a doody-head."

Marina glanced at Viento with a sharp glance in her aqua-blue eyes. Viento knew he needed to accept his brother's apology, even though he wanted to tease his perfect older brother. "I accept your apology," Viento said in a nonchalant tone.

"VIENTO," Marina said in a harsh tone.

"I accept your apology, Ventus-nee-san," Viento said in the most mock sincere voice he could muster.

"Thank you," Ventus replied.

End of Flashback

"I feel like I am drifting...where am I going?"

Viento's body hovered in an eternal darkness. Darkness pulsated around him. He had his eyes closed as he felt like being rocked in his mother's arms once more.

He heard voices, but they were not familiar. They were different.

"Papa, when are Belle and Orson going to come back?" a little girl with dark brown, wavy hair asked as she sat by her bed in an old-fashioned, cream-colored nightgown by a small, decrepit window. A storm was going outside and the lightning struck the roof. The little girl huddled against her father's arms as if the tempest outside wouldn't harm her within the reach of her father's protection.

"They'll be back soon," Maurice said as he kissed his youngest daughter on the scalp and tucked her back into her bed. He shut the door to the little girl's room before letting the family cat, Charley in. Charley would protect Clarice, his youngest daughter. He was a brave cat, who didn't fear rain, hail, snow, sleet, thunder, lightning or whatever nature could throw at his small, little hide.

Maurice made it to what could serve as the dining room. It was a small, dank room with only a small table and four stools. The inventor sat at the stool and began drinking the tea, he had just brewed. "Well, I must say you look awfully horrid," a snide voice declared out of the blue, causing the old man to spill his hot tea.

"MARGUERITE!" Maurice shouted as he looked up to the powdered-wig witch that entered the dark room with a dimly lit candle in her small, pudgy fingers.

The fancy aristocrat replied, "Why don't you tell Clarice the truth?"

"She can't know, especially not about Belle. I don't want to break her little heart, knowing that beast could have…"

Marguerite ignored her brother's ramblings. "Oh come now, Maurice, do you really expect me to buy that beast keeping my niece as her prisoner seriously?"

"It's true!"

"Sure, it is," Marguerite said rolling her eyes. "If you had just let me marry the poor girl off to Gaston than you wouldn't have to raise those poor girls in this decrepit cottage."

Maurice glared at his sister. "Marguerite, I had to sell off their mother's music box just to keep my family afloat! I don't need to hear your complaints since I didn't ask for you to move in here."

"Why I never!"

"Well, now you have!"

"I just moved in with you and your daughters, because the girls needed a mother figure."

"Belle and Clarice could manage that without you."

"That's not how I see it, dear brother! If I remember correctly, your dear daughters like to read. A woman's place is not to usurp a man's position of power."

"Shut up!"

The lightning struck and Viento's vision became bleary. He was dragged away from the scene as before. Who was this Beast? Who was Belle? Who were these people? And, why did this episode play out?

July 27th

Dear Vi,

In your journey, I know that you will be a successful, young man! Hold on to your dreams, determination and self-confidence-ALWAYS. You have taught me to be 'the person that I am' no matter what society expects from us.

Thanks Viento!

Love, your brother, Ventus

Flashback

The two boys tackled each other in the ring. One of them was a few centimeters from being thrown out of the rectangular ring. "Hey stupid, aren't ya even trying?!" the orange-haired boy said or rather yelled making his opponent, Viento go nearly deaf for a brief period of time.

Viento glared at the juggernaut as the man's beefy hands pushed him closer and closer to the edge. "Tear his head off," the crowd cheered.

Viento's pupils locked on an angry man. The man was his father, Uranus. Uranus had his arms locked and Viento tried his best to get his opponent flipped around. However, it didn't work and the orange-haired boy picked him up. Viento was thrown into the wall and a cloud of smoke rose up as rubble of concrete dribbled like small pebbles into a river. Viento spit out the dirt that was forced into his mouth by the collision with the wall dividing the arena from the bystanders.

Viento's eyes locked with his father and he tried to get up. "Ouch!" he said as he tried to get to his feet, but he just fell back down.

The referee stood in the arena with the smiling, orange-haired blockhead. "1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10, The winner of the match is-"

Viento blocked out his opponent's name and the roaring and cheering of the fans. His father had his eyes locked on his son. Both parent and child knew what was going to happen next. It wasn't going to be pretty! Viento knew the outcome of his lost. Failure was never an option for him.

The drive home was silent. Both Viento and Uranus stayed silent. The light-brown-haired child placed his broken foot on the passenger's seat. "I'm sorry," Viento muttered, but his dad just furrowed his brows and tightened his fists on the steering wheel.

Uranus didn't say anything. He kept driving. It took about seven hours just to get home. Uranus picked his son up and hauled him into the house, both males never looking at each other. Marina and Ventus stood idly by as Uranus placed Viento on his bed.

Viento sighed and just glanced out the window. The summer was vastly approaching. For him, it would be nothing, but chores and bedrest. Viento hated that summer, especially since Ventus, his friends and his classmates went off on vacation, summer school and summer camp. Viento just spent time at home doing chores while on crutches. Nothing was ever handed to him.


	44. Chapter 44

I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It's been awhile since I last updated.

Chapter 43

~A Dangerous Memory~

Viento picked up the heavy bucket of murky water with one of his hands. He placed it against his left crutch and walked off. The bucket of water wobbled about as he huddled forward, careful not to place his injured foot on the ground. It hurt, the pain of the tight cushions against his armpits was unbearable. Yet, he still persisted on the duty at hand.

He approached the mop warily, carefully putting the bucket aside. It wasn't easy! Viento approached the mop and carried it aside his crutches. He was finally next to the bucket and he dipped the mop into the murky, dark water while standing on one foot. Viento was careful not to get the wet mop anywhere near his leg, because it was the only thing holding him up.

Viento hated chores, such as mopping and vacuuming. He couldn't go anywhere due to his busted leg, except for doctor's appointments. His mother, Marina drove him all over town, making sure that his busted leg never touched the floor of the car. If it even slightly touched the ground, his mother would give him the scariest scowl she could muster. It was always a boring, dreadful ride to and from appointments.

Viento pitied himself on a daily basis. His father kept on saying, "Well, when I was your age and I broke both my legs, my old man didn't go soft on me. No, he made me do a thousand times the work. So, if you think I am going to baby you just, because you busted your petty little foot in a petty little fight against a guy you could have taken. You wouldn't be in this mess! Gee, your brother never complained as much as you do."

The words stung. Viento cried himself to sleep everywhere night. The bedrest, the doctors' appointments, the rides to and from the hospital, the chores and his father were just too much. Viento would defy his father and walk on his bad leg. It sure did hurt! But, it was worth being able to walk and for a brief amount of time not be judged by his parents' strict gaze.

Viento did break his tendons. Oh boy, he did! He had to go from broken cast to broken cast. However, he didn't regret anything! He was able to get around.

His mother screamed at him and his father offered to saw his leg off. Viento screamed at them as he feared losing his temporary, painful liberty. "NO, I promise I won't walk on my injured leg anymore!" he busted into tears as he made his parents leave the room.

Viento cried as he sat on the floor, screaming and wailing both in the same voice. He hated his parents and he hated his brother! Why did Ventus have to leave him with these psychos?! Why didn't anybody show him any pity? Wasn't he worth it?

The days of injury became months and Viento was officially allowed to walk on his foot again. Ventus came back from camp and school was starting up again. School, another doom, but at least he could cram himself in the library for hours on end and be away from his parents and his brother. Viento studied and played on the computer, it was his only haven from the nightmare at home. Viento smiled as he finished typing an email to his friend and logged off the computer as the library closed at just the brink of eight at night.

Viento carried his books home. The quiet night air kept him company as he walked by the shadows of the dimly lit street lights. He knew Uranus and Marina would scream at him, "WHERE WERE YOU?!" Ventus would either be in bed already or just give him a sad look from his upstair bedroom window.The cars rushed passed him as resulting wind played with his bangs. He smiled slightly and kept walking slower and slower. The moon rose higher and higher in the sky. He whistled as tears dripped from his eyes. Disbelief came upon him as he looked at his digital watch, twelve past one. Oh boy, his parents were going to kill him!

Viento stopped and looked up at the stars. He sighed and thought to himself, "Why am I going home?"

He turned around and looked for the nearest place he could find. It was a bus station. Viento had very little munny on him and it wasn't enough to afford a motel room. Plus, what type of person would rent a room to a boy his age? But, then again, his father had married and owned his own house at just fourteen. Ten wasn't that big of a deal, right?

It started to rain and Viento ran to the bus station. He set his books to the side and placed his sweater on the graffiti-covered bench. Viento placed his backpack under his head, the books inside serving as a pillow. His heavy coat covered over him like a blanket with only his leather school shoes sticking out. It wasn't much of a bed, but it would have to do for now.

The cars passed and Viento watched as the street light flashed red, then yellow and finally green quite a few times. It was calming. His parents were probably freaking out, but he didn't care. They needed to worry, it was the only comforting thought that helped him sleep in the cold night on that wretched bus bench. He didn't sleep long.

Morning approached. Viento was knocked off his bench by some odd guy. The guy had eyes that just seemed to pop out of nowhere. He wore a beige trenchcoat and he was barefoot. The man smelled of beer and Viento panicked as the man grabbed him.

"Let me go!" Viento screamed, but the man didn't relent. He kept a firm grasp on the child.

"Give me your munny!" the man ordered.

"I have no munny!" Viento yelled.

"LIAR!"

"I am being honest, sir. Please, let go of me!"

"Not until you cough off the munny," the buggy-eyed man stammered.

Viento reached in his pocket and threw out the loose change he could manage. "Here," he yelled as he ran off.

His heart throbbing with each step. The sirens of the police car echoed in the distance as he tried to outrun it. The car stopped right in front of him. A giant figure launched out of the tiny vehicle and within a second, Viento was in the back of the police cruiser. Handcuffed and unable to get out of the back seat.


End file.
